The Head of Service will be in attendance to provide a presentation in relation to the service.
Minutes:
The Chair welcomed the Team Manager from the Fostering Team to
the meeting, to provide the Board with an update on the dataset 2019-2020 (1
April 2019-31 March 2020) since the last meeting the figures were reported to
the Board.
Number of Carers and placement
Quarter |
Carers |
Places |
Annual Return –2019/20 |
141 |
267 |
Quarter 1 |
149 |
243 |
Quarter 2 |
159 |
263 |
Quarter 3 |
|
|
Quarter 4 |
|
|
Whilst the Team Manager advised that there had been a net
increase in foster carers this had not equated to a direct increase in
placements and this was due to a variety of reasons e.g
lined to connected carer arrangements and those new to fostering. The service
was undertaking a targeted recruitment campaign which was looking for foster
carers of siblings.
Number of Carers
by Primary Care Type
Primary Care
Type: |
2019/20 |
Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
Long-Term |
21 |
19 |
17 |
||
Short-Term |
74 |
85 |
89 |
||
Fully Approved Connected Persons |
27 |
33 |
38 |
||
Fostering to Adopt |
1 |
1 |
1 |
||
Respite |
18 |
11 |
11 |
||
Total: |
141 |
149 |
156 |
The figures are based on the number on the children within the
placement and the Board explained that there are a number of foster carers who
have dual type e.g. registered to to be a short-term.
Long – term or short-term/ respite. The number for short-term carers remained
to be high as this was often when there were newly approved foster carers who
registered for short-term to ensure fostered was the right path for them.
In terms of fully
approved connected persons, the numbers have increased in quester 2, however
the Team Manger outlined that this number would be reported lower for quarter
3. This was a good step as it meant children were on their journey for their
final permanency.
Number of Carer
Approved
Approved
Carers: |
2019/20 |
Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
Mainstream |
22 |
5 |
5 |
||
Fully Approved Connected Persons |
19 |
5 |
7 |
||
Total: |
41 |
10 |
12 |
The Team Manager advised that the service was on target to
increase for mainstream carers and in terms of fully approved connected
persons, there was an increase in those going to family placement panel.
Number of Carers
De-Registrations
De-Registrations |
2019/20 |
Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
Mainstream |
16 |
2 |
0 |
||
Fully Approved Connected Persons |
8 |
2 |
2 |
||
Total: |
24 |
4 |
2 |
The Board were advised that typically, deregistration was when
the fully approved connected persons had been granted an legal order, and in
terms of mainstream, a foster carer is retiring and another is anticipated in
Quarter 3 to move to an independent foster agency (Ifa).
Placements
Age Group: |
2019/20 |
Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
Number of Children |
163 |
145 |
174 |
|
|
Number of vacant places |
15 |
5 |
15 |
|
|
Number of not available places |
54 |
55 |
56 |
|
|
Number of places used for Respite Care |
35 |
16 |
16 |
|
|
The Service Manager outlined that in terms of In house provision
this was a success story.
The Manager broke down the number of not available placements by
the following data:
Not available reason: |
2019/20 |
Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
Carer taking
a break/pending resignation |
19 |
20 |
18 |
|
|
Needs of
child currently in placement |
26 |
26 |
29 |
|
|
Only
available if sibling group placed |
6 |
6 |
7 |
|
|
Used by CYP
Staying Put after turning 18 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
Total: |
54 |
55 |
56 |
|
|
There was a number of reasons behind these figures which were
explained to the Board. Covid-19 had had an impact as the service focused on
matching and ensuring children were placed with the right foster placement and
the needs of the foster parents.
Further breakdown of the figures outlined:
Breakdown of Carers taking a break/pending resignation |
Quarter 2 |
Personal / Health Reasons |
7 |
Pending Resignation |
2 |
Current Investigation – Standards of Care |
2 |
Post Adoption |
2 |
Fully Approved Connected Person’s – To be Closed |
2 |
Update Assessment Required |
3 |
Total: |
18 |
In terms of recruitment:
Recruitment: |
2019/20 |
Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
Initial Enquiries |
123 |
12 |
19 Stage 1 or stage 2 of assessment- this is exceptionally high. |
|
|
The Board finally were presented with what’s working well. These
were as follows:
•
The service
have devised a more robust initial screening process that encourages greater
dialogue with applicants early in the assessment process and we anticipate that
this will reduce the number of initial home visits that do not progress to
assessment.
•
The service
have developed plans to streamline the initial enquiry process to reduce the
time between initial enquiry and home visit.
•
A foster carer recruitment campaign is being delivered in December
and staff have been encouraged to contribute to the planning and consultation
with the marketing team.
•
We have
recruited a team of Independent Social Workers to complete Form F assessments
to ensure that we can meet the demand generated by the recruitment
campaign.(recruitment campaign goes live in 01.21
•
There had
been a reduction in requests for connected carer
assessments due to the greater scrutiny on the range of placement options for
children.
•
The service
have been developing the Supported Lodgings Provision to ensure robust
assessments of potential providers are completed and that subsequent
supervision and monitoring of providers is in line with the expectations of
mainstream foster carers
The Foster Carer in attendance made a comment in relation to the data and advised
sometimes it can become misleading, and in response the Team Manager advised
this would be taken into consideration when next reporting. The Chair thanked the Team Manager for her
presentation
AGREED-
·
That the information be noted
Supporting documents: