105 Shared Fostering Service - KEY DECISION PDF 388 KB
Minutes:
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.