Agenda item

Jennifer Rowan, Acting Service Manager will provide the quarter 4 fostering data to the Board.

Jennifer Rowan, Acting Service Manager was in attendance to provide the Quarter 4 fostering data- January 2022- March 2022.

 

The Acting Service Manager outlined that they had been a significant increase of enquiring coming through the fostering service as they had been due to the extensive recruitment campaign and periodic pushes on these. The Fostering service has continuous conversations with the marketing team regarding the best way to target audience, be that through google ads for social media posts.

 

Within quarter 4 there had been a 100% increase on enquiries, which was a great achievement (15 enquiries in Quarter 3 and 38 in quarter 4). There had also been significant increase in the number of initial first visits, with just 1 with quarter 3 and 14 in quarter 4.  This number is a good sign in that the service are hopeful that these will become future fostering households.

 

In terms of the fostering families , this number has decreased in quarter 4 (119 ) however there have been a number of contributing factors to this, for example, there has been 5 de-registrations from the mainstream cohort. 1 household had been de-registered by the service area and the other 4 had deregistered as they had not been able to provide fostering for 2 years due to personal circumstances (health and change in work). Practical issues and covid 19 has also been contributing issues to de-registrations. It was also noted that although there have been de-registrations, 3 have continued to foster but under an alternative agency.

 

Within quarter 4 there had been no de-registrations for connected or foster to adopt.

With regards to foster placements available for children that are not occupied, in quester 4 there were 7. These placements were for babies (0-2) and respite care.

In terms of panel activity, the acting service manager advised that there has been a significant increase as 8 connected fostering families had been approved by panel, which would provide connecting fostering for 12 children. Another success in quarter 4 is the number of matches for children and their long term fostering families (their forever fostering home for their childhood), 20 children have gained stability and permanence.

 

The Acting Service Manager did state that unfortunately there had been no supporting lodgings approved.

 

After providing the data set, the acting service manager outlined the following to the board regarding the service:

 

What is working well

 

•        Performance was improving across the service in terms of compliance and quality.

•        Foster carer reviews are taking place in timescales, over 80% of reviews held have been in timescales. No reviews have been held outside of timescales due to practice.

•        Foster carers are receiving monthly supervision which supports the fostering families and the children in our care

•        There has been a significant increase in enquiries and initial visits with a further planned recruitment drive in May 2022

•        The service have improved timeliness of completion of connected carers assessments which supports plans of permanence for our children, at the time of writing no fostering assessments have exceeded the 24 weeks timescale.

•        There has been a significant increase in children matched with their foster carers as their plan of permanence

•        The recruitment of a liaison worker and hub carer for the Mockingbird  has commenced – on target for implementation in September 2022.

•        We have three social work students in the service.

•        Staff morale remains good and they work collectively to support the service, the fostering families and the children in our care.

•        We are utilising available foster placements more effectively and have a better understanding of availability.

What are we worried about

 

•        There remains not enough fostering families for our children in our care.

What makes things more complicated

•        Data performance systems are improved providing greater accuracy.

•        There has been a number of deregistration's of mainstream foster carers, one has been due to this being progressed by the service, one as a result of a transfer to an IFA and the others had not provided care to children for extended periods due to their own personal circumstances.

•        There were 7 foster placements available at the time of obtaining the data, these were a mixture of availability for babies and respite provision for children

 

Plan

 

•        To increase the number of fostering enquiries and increase the number of newly approved carers to 10 in 2022 and 20 in 2023.

•        Develop an improved system and tool box for collecting views of children looked after and fostering families birth children.  Their voices need to be heard.

•        To continue to develop a robust and targeted training programme for staff within fostering service to improve practice.

•        Recruitment drive to progress in May 2022

A board member made reference to the comment surrounding Middlesbrough previous partner (North Yorkshire) and sought clarification on this.

 

In response, the Executive Director of Children’s Services outlined that the partnership with North Yorkshire was a government run scheme and undertaken by the Department of Education. The partnership was carefully monitored and was put in place for a specific timeframe. The partnership looked a targeted piece of work, which has now been completed.

 

The Acting Service Manager also added that the partnership brought about 2 way learning.  North Yorkshire have taken information back regarding connected carers and complimented Middlesbrough’s performance. North Yorkshire also complimented Regulation 24 assessment (temporary approval for connected carers) and audit (learning conversations) highly praising the level of understanding and accountability about our foster carers who they were supporting.

 

AGREED- That the information be noted.