Agenda item

(To receive a report by Deborah Crawford, Head of Service - Fostering and Adoption, which provides an overview of the Fostering Service Performance Report for Quarter 2)

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Fostering and Adoption, which informed the Panel about the work of the broader Children's and Fostering Service in relation to Private Fostering for the period from July to September 2021.

The Head of Fostering and Adoption paid tribute to all those who attended the Foster Carers Annual Conference and those who had received well deserved awards as well as the general acknowledgement of the appreciation the Council had for foster carer households.

This second quarter of the year had continued to be compounded by the aftermath and the ongoing effects of Covid-19. The rollout of the successful Covid-19 booster vaccination had provided increased confidence to fostering households.

The Head of Fostering and Adoption commended the work of the County’s Foster Parents throughout the pandemic.

There had been a small increase in the number of children what were placed within the independent sector, who had been accommodated with local carers supporting local children and placement stability figures had remained good with 73% of children remaining in their placements for at least two and half years. The level of support provided and commitment to the service continued to be effective, as had efforts to continue to keep children with their families.

Campaigns to add to our cohort of foster care households remained clear, with that the Council were looking for fostering families to care for and sibling groups too offer permanence, but also to offer and opportunities for parents and children to be assessed together within a foster care placement. The Head of Fostering and Adoption emphasised the importance of placing children in a placement that was suitable.

Online presence for the recruitment of foster carers had continued and the team remained proactive and visible to people that are interested in wanting to foster children.

There had been three foster carer approvals within the quarter, along with a number of assessments that were ongoing.

The Head of Fostering and Adoption paid tribute to all staff involved in the foster care process as well as the foster carers for ensuring Lincolnshire’s children were well cared for.

Members considered the report and during the discussion the following points were noted:

·       It was proposed that the Panel write to all of Lincolnshire’s Foster Carers thanking them for their hard work, particularly during Covid-19.

·       Although the government target for processing new applications for foster care was within 8 months, the Panel were assured that in most instances applications were processed in less than eight months. Officers recognised the wish to process applications as quickly as possible, however, it was also important to note the depth of information analysis which was carried out as part of the application process to ensure children were received the best level of care possible.

·       Officers kept a record of the source to which initial enquiries were made. From gathering such information it was clear that an online presence was critical in the recruitment of foster carers.

RESOLVED:

              That the consideration be given to the report and that the comments made be noted.