Issue - meetings

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, which sought approval to develop a shared fostering service.

It was reported that there had been an unprecedented national rise in the number of children coming into care, which had resulted in local authority fostering services unable to meet demand. In Halton, the capacity of the in-house fostering service was severely stretched with a reduction in the number of fostering households.

The Board was advised that, operating as a single entity, each of the four Cheshire local authorities, were competing with their neighbours as well as with a strong independent fostering agency (IFA) market. The report set out details of the key aims, objectives and benefits of a proposed shared fostering service across Cheshire.

Reason(s) for Decision

In order for Halton Borough Council to meet its statutory duty to provide sufficient foster placements for children coming into care or those already in care, it was necessary for a new model/approach to be delivered. Current demand outstripped provision and there was a heavy reliance on costly IFA placements which placed a financial pressure on the Council.

A shared fostering service was a model that offered economies of scale that should lead to a more operationally efficient and cost effective service.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Halton could continue as it was but there was not the capacity to undertake the level of marketing, recruitment and assessment required to meet the demand for foster carers. Over the short term, additional resource would be required to bolster our local recruitment but at the moment the lack of capacity of staff and poor market supply was having an impact on the services’ ability to match children appropriately for the far fewer number of foster carers and providing the right level of support to our current foster carers; this was increasing the risk of placement breakdown and the consequent higher costs with increased use of IFAs and residential provision. The matching of children with foster carers was an area to improve, highlighted by the Ofsted Inspection in 2014.

Implementation Date

October 2017.

          RESOLVED: That Executive Board approves

1)    the proposal for a shared fostering service should be developed between Warrington, Halton, Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East;

2)    that one of the partner authorities will be the single local authority acting as the provider of the shared service;

3)    that further decisions regarding the development and establishment of the shared fostering services are delegated to the Strategic Director, People, in consultation with the Lead Member for Children, Young People and Families; and

4)    authority to sign off an inter-authority agreement is delegated to the Strategic Director, People.