Agenda item

Purpose: To provide an oversight of the recruitment, remuneration and initiatives that are both taking place and planned with foster carers in West Berkshire.

Dave Wraight presented the report on Fostering in West Berkshire (Agenda Item 7).

The following points were raised in the debate:

·       Members were very supportive of the report and congratulated the officers.

·       Members asked about the differences in outcomes for fostered children compared with those in other forms of care. It was explained that stability was important. Fostered children cited having someone who cared / looked out for them and was interested in them as being the most important thing to them. Foster carers provided stability, love, care and attention and were de facto parents. This made a tangible difference to those children.

·       A question was asked about how many children were in a care home who didn’t need to be. Officers explained that children were not placed into residential homes who did not need it or unless there were no other placements available. There were around five children who were in residential homes where foster carers were being sought, but there was a shortage of places.

·       Members asked about the potential saving from moving children from residential care to foster homes. Officers indicated that children who they were looking to step down into foster care currently cost between £3,500 - £4,500. The overall cost was £6,500, but that included some children with particular needs who required 2:1 staffing, where it would not be possible to step them down into foster care.

·       Members asked whether having a dedicated officer for foster carer recruitment would improve the timeline for approval of new foster carers. Officers indicated that there would be time savings, because the function would not be in addition to an individual’s other responsibilities. However, some aspects had a fixed timescale, such as training of new foster carers. Normally, it would take 7-8 months, but it was suggested that this could be reduced by a couple of months.

·       A question was asked about whether foster carers would be entitled to the 30 hours of childcare per week announced in the March 2023 Budget. It was confirmed that they would be eligible.

·       Members asked about families who were hosting refugee children. It was explained that unaccompanied refugee children would be placed by Children and Family Services. If they were under-16, they would be placed in foster care. Supported lodgings were used for 16-17 year olds. Arrangements were different for refugee children who were with their families, but families who were no longer hosting refugees had been approached to see if they would be interested in fostering.

·       There was discussion about private fostering arrangements where children went to live with other family members. While Children and Family Services would need to know about such arrangements, that was the limit of their involvement. However, where children were removed from their home environment and relatives were asked to care for them, that was covered by kinship care or connected fostering arrangements, which would need to be assessed and regulated. The level of funding and support provided under those arrangements were the same as for other foster families.

·       A suggestion was made for the dedicated officer for foster carer recruitment to be part of HR rather than Children’s Services.

·       It was noted that the job description stated that it was essential to have experience of using social media platforms, but only desirable to have worked in recruitment or marketing. However, Members felt that the role was mostly about going into the community for face-to-face discussions to develop relationships and build trust. Support / training for using social media could be provided by IT / the Comms Team.

·       Members felt that it was important to improve the remuneration and allowances for foster carers. The proposal to participate in regional fostering recruitment partnerships was also welcomed.

·       There was some discussion about the relative benefits of payments vs Council Tax relief. It was suggested that providing Council Tax relief for foster carers would set a difficult precedent, since other parties may ask for similar relief, so it might be better to give foster carers more money and Members felt that the upper level of the 5-10% range would be appropriate. However, it was also recognised that paying people more money might result in them paying more tax - much would depend on the particular circumstances of the individual.

·       Remuneration was recognised as a key issue, and while allowances were good, in some cases, they were not sufficient, especially for more complex cases, where the carer was unable to work.

·       It was noted that the 3.5% increase from April 2023 was the first increase paid in five years.

·       Officers stressed that the offer to foster carers needed to be competitive in terms of payments and support, since local authorities were fighting for the same small pool of people.

·       Officers reiterated that West Berkshire Council was performing well in terms of the number of children it had in foster care and exceptionally well in terms of in-house foster care placements. This was testament to the support provided. Within the industry, a lack of support was often highlighted by foster carers as a reason for leaving. Having a dedicated officer for recruitment was seen as essential, and it was recognised that there may be merit in looking at marketing or HR professionals. Marketing was acknowledged to be key in terms of getting people through the door. Officers also highlighted that small increases in allowances may go unnoticed by foster carers, but the most successful local authorities tended to offer Council Tax relief, which would be more significant. It was suggested that foster carers should be asked about what they would see as being most beneficial. The aim was for West Berkshire to be the local authority of choice for foster carers.

Resolved to note the report.