Agenda item

This report presents the Fostering Service Annual Report 2016-17. The report describes the work completed by the Service, in addition to its development in the preceding year and goals and targets for the coming year.

Discussion:

The Deputy Director, Children and Adults introduced the Fostering Service Annual Report 2016/17, which set out performance data and the development of the Service over the reporting period and outlined targets and goals for the 2017/18 period.

The Deputy Director, Children and Adults drew the Committee’s attention to the report highlights, set out in paragraph 3.1 to the report. In particular, she drew the Committee’s attention to the payment structure review and explained it was hoped that following full implementation this would stimulate an increase in the number of foster carer applications.

The Deputy Director, Children and Adults also outlined additional developments within the Fostering Service, including the appointment of a Fostering Reviewing Officer to undertake an annual review of foster carers and the provision of additional support for foster carers from family support workers and youth workers acting as fostering mentors.

The areas considered to be the focus of the next year included recruitment, fostering presence in Fostering Fortnight and development of Short Break Services.

Members raised a number of questions and comments, which included:

·         Recruitment of Foster Carers – Members expressed that they were pleased with progress to recruit additional foster carers. A  Member commented that the recent Foster Carer Event, in which foster carers were recognised for long service, was very good. This event also provided an opportunity to meet new foster carers.

·         Youth Mentors – At the request of a Member, the Deputy Director, Children and Adults undertook to arrange a presentation by the Youth Mentors to the Committee on the work they were completing in relation to the Fostering Service. 

·         No Smoking Household Policy – Asked by a Member whether the No Smoking Household Policy included e-cigarettes, the Deputy Director, Children and Adults explained that whilst she understood that the policy had covered e-cigarettes, a flexible approach was required to recruit family and friends as carers.

·         Social Worker information – A Member commented that presenting the photographs and information on the Social Workers was a very good introduction.

·         Monitoring of Care Leavers – Referring to an incident relating to inadequate monitoring of Care Leavers, a Member asked whether there was scope for increased monitoring. The Deputy Director, Children and Adults explained the Service was very focused on this matter and were investigating a number of proposals to expand the range of supported accommodation to meet the complex needs of children, in particular in the cohort of children aged 14-16. She noted that supported accommodation for children aged 16 or over was not regulated or inspected in the same way as children’s homes. The Deputy Director, Children and Adults further explained new legislation had put additional responsibilities onto the Local Authority and additional reports would be presented to the Committee at the appropriate time, including the Sufficiency Statement at Agenda Item 8.

The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence added that the issue of antisocial behaviour was taken very seriously and in this particular instance there was not sufficient supported accommodation available through the Framework and this resulted in an undesirable spot purchase of provision. There were also complexities around the responsibility for monitoring. The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence explained that whilst a supported accommodation provider may be in Medway, the children using the service may be from another Local Authority and therefore responsibility for monitoring would lie with that Local Authority. The facility under the provider referenced was no longer utilised and an embargo had been implemented on another facility as it was considered they were not securing appropriate outcomes.

·         Universal Credit – Referring to a presentation at a Care Leavers Event, a Member commented that care leavers would find Universal Credit difficult to manage.

·         Leaving Care Nurse – In response to a question on whether there was scope for an additional nurse, the Deputy Director, Children and Adults undertook to discuss this with Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) colleagues. The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence added that 0-19 Community Health Provision was being procured; within the specification sufficiency of Looked After Children (LAC), nursing was included.

·         Fostering approval process – In response to a question about the length of the approval process for Foster Carers, the Deputy Director, Children and Adults advised that six months was considered to be the minimum length of time to enable a good quality assessment which commences with training. She added other operators benefit from having a larger pool of carers to match children with. In Medway, the pool of carers was smaller and required more careful matching.

·         Placement outside the Local Authority boundary – In response to a question on the number of children placed outside the Local Authority boundary, the Deputy Director Children and Adults explained that this was improving and that there had been significant improvements in the number of in foster family based placements rather than residential provision. She added that the Service was reducing its dependence on Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs) and where children were placed outside the Local Authority boundary they were in close proximity.

The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence added the procurement process for the new IFA Framework had been undertaken and would hopefully be in place in the New Year. The Service had completed work to stimulate the market and within the tender process providers were assessed on their sufficiency to develop proficiency of service in Medway. In addition, the Service aimed to work with fewer providers and utilise them better so that there would be a greater incentive to invest in Medway.

·         MoMo (Mind of My Own) app – At the request of a Member, the Deputy Director, Children and Adults explained the MoMo app was introduced in response to an action from being held to account by the Children in Care Council. The app enabled children and young people in care, as well as others, including professionals, to communicate their views into a central database. A Member commented that the scope and use of the app was presented at Corporate Parenting Board.

Decision:

The Committee noted the Fostering Service Annual Report 2016-17, as set out at Appendix 1 of the report.