Nabeel Chaudhry, Head of Integrated Provision introduce the report of the Director of Children, Families and Education which provided an overview of fostering and adoption performance during the financial year of 2020 – 2021 and how this linked to the Council’s children looked after ‘sufficiency duties’.

Members were advised that a key priority for Children’s Services was for Children Looked After to be living in family-based settings, most notably foster placements. At the end of the reporting period (31st March 2021), 59% of children were living in local authority ‘in-house’ foster placements. Overall, 71% of children were living in foster placements taking into account 12% of those in placed with private fostering agencies. The Committee was further advised of the success in recruiting 12 new fostering households, alongside the successful marketing campaign in late 2020 which resulted in an increase in enquiries resulting in approvals of new foster carers. Overall, during the reporting period, 25 children had been adopted and a further 23 were placed with prospective adoptive families.

Members welcomed the figures and sought further information on the reasons why foster carers stopped providing care. The level of training provided was raised, where it was confirmed that each carer had an individual training and personal development plan which compliance with was a key requirement of them being a carer.

Resolved – That the report be noted.