FCA Eastern is celebrating after receiving an Outstanding rating in all areas following its latest Ofsted inspection.
The report recognises the life-changing impact the team have on children and young people across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, praising the agency for providing long-term homes where children experience “love, belonging and stability.”
Ofsted noted:
“Living with foster parents has, in most cases, given the children much better life outcomes and, in some cases, has been life changing.”
This powerful endorsement reflects the dedication and support of FCA’s foster parents and staff, who work together to create safe, nurturing environments where children can recover from early trauma and begin to thrive.
Transforming children’s lives
The inspection report highlighted the profound difference foster families are making. One child who entered care unable to walk due to neglect is now able to walk thanks to the care, patience and encouragement of their foster parents.
Children’s voices were central to the inspection. One young person shared:
“I am happy that I will be living with them until I am an adult.”
The agency was also praised for its commitment to “staying put” arrangements, supporting young people to remain with their foster families beyond the age of 18 where appropriate – ensuring stability as they move into adulthood.
Another child spoke warmly about their experiences:
“We have had some lovely days out with the agency where we do lots of fun things, like wall climbing and holding reptiles. I have held a snake, that felt very weird, but it was great fun.”
A culture where children’s needs are ‘threaded through the agency’
Ofsted described how children’s needs are “threaded through the agency,” reflecting FCA Eastern’s deeply child-centred approach.
At a time when the UK faces a national shortage of nearly 7,000 foster parents, FCA Eastern has continued to grow its fostering community – carefully recruiting, training and supporting foster families to meet increasing local need.
Foster parents receive tailored, wrap-around support including:
- Dedicated supervising social workers
- Therapeutic guidance and reflective practice groups
- Out-of-hours support
- Ongoing specialist training
One foster parent said:
“I feel like my supervising social worker is in my corner no matter what and I trust her completely.”
Another shared:
“We can’t praise our supervising social worker enough – she is a lifeline.”
Strong leadership and therapeutic focus
Since the previous inspection, FCA Eastern has strengthened its leadership, with the registered manager driving continued improvement and embedding therapeutic approaches throughout the service.
Ofsted recognised this progress, noting the leadership team’s focus on supporting staff, foster parents and children in meaningful and sustainable ways.
Jo Alexander, Fostering Service Manager at FCA Eastern, said:
“Providing the right care for children who have often been through so much in their lives is a real team effort. I am incredibly proud of this result. Our foster parents and staff members are all amazing people who truly want to make a difference to the lives of children and we can hand-on-heart say that we are doing just that.
Fostering, when done properly, is a powerful tool which affects not just the young people in our care, but society as a whole too. Our goal is to show children and young people that just because they can’t live with their own families for whatever reason, they are still valued, appreciated, and loved and there is always a family willing to welcome them in as one of their own.”
Working together for local children
FCA Eastern works closely with local authorities across the region to ensure children receive the right care, at the right time, in the right home. Feedback from partner agencies was described by Ofsted as extremely positive.
At the time of the inspection, FCA Eastern was supporting 73 children across a range of placements, including emergency, short-term, long-term and parent-and-child fostering.
This Outstanding judgement reflects not only the professionalism of the service, but the warmth, nurture and community spirit that define FCA’s fostering families.
Interested in fostering?
If you live in Norfolk, Suffolk or Essex and are interested in becoming a foster parent with an Outstanding agency, FCA Eastern would love to hear from you.
Enquire now via our online form, or call 0800 023 4561 to speak to the team.
Together, we can continue changing children’s lives.
