The Committee received a report providing an update in respect of Wirral’s in-house Fostering Service that recruits and supports carers and provides placements for children from across the Borough.  The report addressed in detail the following key areas of consideration that had been identified by Members –

·  details of foster carer recruitment and retention;

·  training and support offered before and during placements;

·  levels of placement breakdowns and the reasons; and

·  numbers of young people who remain in the ‘Staying Put’ scheme.

The submitted report set out current practice in the identified key areas and provided further contextual information for consideration, considering local, regional and national issues relating to fostering services.  The Committee was advised that there was a significant challenge in the market for foster carers which was exacerbated in Wirral by the number of children fostered.

Members raised several queries and were advised of the following -

·  it was confirmed that requirements to compile several extensive assessment reports for the same child were generally Court directed and did deflect from other aspects of work;

·  the Staying Put scheme needed to be kept under review and considerations given as to how to improve the offer for those leaving care at the age of 18 years;

·  with regard to foster carer resignations, these could arise, for example, for family reasons or changing circumstances, while recruitment by an agency might also be a factor.  A request was made for resignation data to be included in any future report on fostering;

·  with regard to detail in the submitted report such that a number of foster carers had been ‘terminated’, this generally arose though concerns about practice or levels of care;

·  regarding foster carers who are family members, it was advised that the same Regulations, training and supervision applied to these carers as to other foster carers.

Referring to content within the submitted report that Wirral had a higher proportion of looked after children in some form of foster placement than most other north-west local authorities, it was noted that across the north west the figure was generally higher than in other regions.  The Committee was advised that the local courts preferred an approach that they believed provided the extra rigour of a care order or interim care order.  It was confirmed that this approach had been queried previously, but no change had been seen.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.