Agenda item

(To receive a report by John Harris, Children's Services Manager: Regulated (North and Fostering) which provides the third quarterly report for 2019/20 for consideration by the Corporate Parenting Panel)

The Corporate Parenting Panel received a report which provided members with the opportunity to review the third quarterly report for 2019/20.  It was reported that the Annual Report for 2018/19 was presented to the Corporate Parenting Sub Group in September 2019.  The Statement of Purpose had also been revised and was ratified on the same day.

The Panel was advised that the main issue was the recruitment and retention of foster carers.  The experience which was being lost was not being replaced in the same way.

It was noted that a number of applications had been received from couples who both worked.

The Panel was informed that there were some fantastic carers, and cared for children with a range of complex needs, which would remain complex.  It was also noted that there were also geographical challenges  due to the rurality of the county.

It was noted that it was planned to target the Bourne area with recruitment campaigns during this year, as there was a good record of adoptive parents coming from that area.

The Caring2Learn programme had brought positive engagement for a lot of foster carers.

The Panel was provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         It was noted within the report that five of the applications for special guardianship orders were withdrawn, and it was queried if it was known why this was.  The Panel was advised that this was possibly due to the impact on the applicants own children.

·         It was queried what could be offered by the authority to encourage people to come forward as foster carers.  However, it was noted that an allowance was received for fostering, and not many people could survive on one wage.  It was important to have the right people doing the caring, for the right reasons.

·         It was suggested whether the recruitment of respite carers could be looked at in order to retain long term carers.

·         It was queried whether there was anything which could be learnt from independent agencies.  However, it was noted that often the main attraction for foster carers registering with independent agencies was that they got paid more.  It was thought that the majority of the authority's carers did not become foster carers for financial reward, but because they felt compelled to support Lincolnshire's children..  There were a number of cases where an enhanced payment would be made.

·         Reference was made to the Mockingbird Model which had been implemented in Doncaster, and it was queried whether this had been considered for Lincolnshire.  Members were advised the authority was trying to take some of the learning from that model, and apply it to Lincolnshire, such as looking at providing a more tangible out of hours support.

·         It was noted that the benefit of SGO's were that it enabled people to provide care, that would not normally be thought of.  It was suggested whether these SGO's should be retained as mainstream carers.

·         It was also queried whether targeting 'empty nesters' as potential foster carers, was an option, as they were experienced parents and were more likely to have the time available.

·         It was noted that there were foster carer champions, and they would work to find networks for people.

·         It was highlighted that foster carers were often worried that if they did ask for help then it might be thought that they could not manage or carry out the role.  It was very hard to get the message across that they would not be criticised for asking for help.  It was suggested that sometimes all they needed was someone to listen to them.

·         It was queried whether the foster carer champions were encouraged to contact the foster carers that they had not heard from in a while, and it was confirmed that this practice was in place.  There was an aim to establish this relationship with every carer that had been through the Fostering Panel so they knew who they could go to for support.

RESOLVED

That the report be accepted as an accurate overview of the Fostering Service.