Issue - meetings

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Children and Family Services providing an overview of the activity of the Leicestershire County Council Fostering Agency for the period 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019.  A copy of the report marked ‘Agenda Item 12’ is filed with these minutes.

Arising from the discussion, the following comments were raised:

i)                Lots of work had been undertaken to recruit and retain foster carers, and the Recruitment and Retention strategies had had an impact.  To date this year, the service had lost only three foster carers against a projection of 20.  In October, a specialist foster carer recruitment campaign had been launched and four initial visits were being progressed. The success of the Independent Visitor scheme was highlighted, and there were now 38 on roll.  The target was to increase this number to 70 over the next two years.  This was ambitious, but a retention package was being offered which included bespoke training, the support of an Independent Visitor Co-ordinator and also peer support. 

ii)               Details were provided of the introduction of a foster carer’s portal, where important information could be shared, and the virtual memory box for children in foster care – this allowed them to store information and memories virtually to access at any time.  Both of these initiatives had been well received and highlighted the work of the Fostering Agency to promote the ‘we are family’ approach. 

iii)             The service currently had three specialist one-to-one carers and two pathway carers, who were able to foster more than one child at a time.  These were meant to be time limited carers, but the Committee was informed of a child who had stepped down from residential care and was currently going through a Special Guardianship Order to live permanently with their pathway carer.  Although this meant that there would be a reduction in the number of pathway carers, this was seen as a successful outcome for the child and three further pathway carers were currently being assessed.

iv)             There had been a reduction in the number of children placed in residential care.  However, it was sometimes necessary for children to be placed in these settings due to them having complex behaviours and high needs, which could only be met by residential care.

v)              A member commented on a recent national news story whereby children had been placed in unsuitable accommodation such as holiday caravans.  It was reported that Leicestershire did occasionally place children in such provision but these were monitored very closely and were time limited.  An example was given of where this had occurred.  Where this was the case, it was classed as an unregulated placement.

vi)             Currently within Leicestershire, there were 133 foster carer households which provided 191 placements.  There were 70 connected carers for 120 children.  In addition, there were 180 children placed in external fostering agency placements – the majority of these were within Leicestershire but the County Council had commissioned the places from the Independent Fostering Agency market.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.