To consider the Fostering Agency Quarter 4 Performance Report for 2015/16.

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Member for Social Care and Housing which introduced the Quarter 4 Performance Report for the Fostering Agency.  In view of the presence of a further report of the Executive Member for Social Care and Housing on the Fostering Agency Annual Report for 2015/16 on the agenda (agenda item 6 refers), it was agreed that both reports should be considered concurrently (minute CPP/16/6 below also refers).

Following introductions to the reports by the Practice Manager, Fostering the meeting turned to consider various issues contained within them.  The Panel noted that both reports had been highly positive in their conclusions on the quality of service provided to Looked After Children and young people.

Full discussion took then place with regard to the content of the reports.  Amongst the many issues raised was the £414k overspend arising mainly from inter agency costs and the rise in child arrangements/special guardianship orders and adoption allowances.  In response The Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations set out the cost pressures in this area and explained that the increase had largely arisen due to the numbers of unaccompanied asylum seekers reaching Central Bedfordshire.  He explained that if it was necessary to make use of Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs) or that some unaccompanied asylum seekers had special requirements then there was a cost impact.  He added that the Head of Corporate Parenting was scheduled to report to the Director of Children’s Services on this matter and the information would be made available to Members in due course. The Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations added that the unaccompanied asylum seekers wanted to attend college and do well and they had not usually suffered from the abuse sometimes found in British born children.  Nonetheless, they did have different needs and this added to the costs.

The Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations explained that Central Bedfordshire was experiencing the second highest number of unaccompanied asylum seekers in the Eastern Region but that the Council had been successful in dealing with this pressure.  He then briefed Members on the Council’s responsibilities towards unaccompanied asylum seekers.  In response to a Member’s question regarding the possible dispersal of unaccompanied asylum seekers to other local authorities the Assistant Director explained that a national disposal scheme existed but that currently, because its own numbers were so high, Central Bedfordshire was not expected to take anymore.  However, should that number fall then the situation would change although he did not envisage this happening in the foreseeable future.

A foster carer representative raised a number of queries regarding the age range of those children that carers would be expected to foster.  In response the Practice Manager, Fostering explained that neither existing nor new carers would be expected to foster any child or young person of any age between 0-18.  She stated that when a person applied to become a foster carer their suitability to foster particular age groups was considered.  Further, any decision would take full account of the carer’s own wishes and whether or not he or she felt confident and comfortable with fostering certain age groups.  However, the Council was always actively seeking those willing to foster older children simply because it was difficult to secure carers for that group.

Another foster carer representative commented that the report failed to mention the loss of foster carers over the previous twelve months and the reasons for the retention problem.  In response the Practice Manager, Fostering stated that this issue would be included in next year’s report.

Arising from comments by the Chairman discussion took place on foster care and the various schemes related to accommodation for young persons.  In response to a query by a Children in Care Council (CiCC) Ambassador the Practice Manager, Fostering stated that the supported lodging scheme was still active though only used for the Council’s external placements at present.  The CiCC Ambassador advised the meeting that she had previously lived in supported lodging and she had found it to have been a positive experience in teaching the skills required to live an independent life.  She was aware that other young people also wanted to experience living in this type of accommodation.  The Practice Manager, Fostering advised that the scheme was to be promoted and enlarged and staff recruiting would take place in September.

A Member raised a number of questions including whether respite foster carers were recruited so that they could be used to provide foster carers with a break from their responsibilities.  She also sought clarification as to how those Looked After Children with special needs were supported.  In response the Practice Manager, Fostering referred to the Family Link Scheme which offered short breaks to children of all ages who had a physical or functional disability.  In addition support for foster carers could be provided through various means.

In response to various queries by the Vice-Chairman on the availability of accommodation for young people the Assistant Director Housing Services stated that there was insufficient suitable housing of all types for young persons though the move was towards shared accommodation partly through a reduction in the under occupation  of properties by older people.  The Practice Manager, Fostering added that the statutory responsibility for the care of a young person ended at 21 or, if the young person was in further education, 25.  The Head of Corporate Parenting added that it was possible for the young person to stay beyond 25 with the mutual agreement of both the former carer and the young person.

In conclusion the Chairman recognised the excellent work and progress undertaken by the Fostering Agency whilst acknowledging the pressures on the service arising from the arrival of an increased number of unaccompanied asylum seekers.

NOTED

1          the Fostering Agency Quarter 4 Performance Report for 1 January – 31 March 2016;

2          the Annual Report of the Fostering Agency for the period 2015 – 2016.