Agenda item

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Members discussed the Unicef Child Friendly City strategy; what was being done to ensure that children are aware of their rights and that their voices will be heard and the training that will be rolled out to staff, initially to Manages at the end of the month, by Unicef. 

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Members referred to the commitment to recruit more local authority foster carers and how that was to be achieved.  Members were advised that there are 4 elements involved in the recruitment drive for new foster carers; the first is to encourage people to have a conversation about becoming a foster carer which is being managed by marketing and communication taking place in the Council, Ikea, Tweets and Google adds for example; the second is to consider the payment received by foster carers, it has been necessary to revise the fee structure to consolidate the fees; thirdly it has been necessary to look at the operating model to ensure that any prospective foster carers receive a professional response to their enquiry which is both timely and informative to ensure that the information received is of the same standard as that provided by independent fostering agencies (IFAs); and finally that there is training provided and ongoing support throughout the process.

Members also noted that there were currently 10 assessments ongoing at the present time and further events planned for the coming weeks with current foster carers to discuss matters such as supported lodgings and finders fees.  In relation to finders fees, something used by IFA’s, any fee would have to be competitive.

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Members queried whether consideration should be given to accessing bigger organisations, for example, academic institutions such as universities as an opportunity to recruit new foster carers.

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Members discussed the foster care model in Scotland, whilst Scotland still use IFAs, they are not for profit IFAs. Members were keen to examine the Scottish model more closely but noted that it was to be raised through the Core Cities network.

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Members queried the low rates of Kinship Care in Wales and the reasons for that.  Members were advised that significant improvements have been made in relation to the number of Kinship carers, the figure has increased by at least 20 recently.  It is necessary to ensure that the right support is in place for those carers. Members noted that more parental responsibility was given to those who become Special Guardians rather than Kinship Carers, however, it is still important to ensure that there is ongoing support to the family which has been the reason for the breakdowns occurring previously.

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Members were pleased to note that the Out of County Placement Inquiry was incredibly helpful in informing the strategy and had an impact at every level. 

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Members noted that the strategy appears to focus on children who are looked after, and queried what it meant to children out of the care system who were also experiencing stresses and strains.  The Director advised that it is about all children and young people.  It is necessary to look through the lenses of all children.  Whilst the strategy is sets out a number of priorities, it is also about building on current strengths. 

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Members asked whether current staffing levels were adequate and were advised that the levels of staffing is constantly reviewed.  Whilst it is accepted that Social Workers are important, it is also necessary to ensure that there is a good skill mix within the teams.  The currently operating model is being reviewed together with senior management arrangements, and recruitment is taking place at the present time.  Obviously the increase in number of Children Looked After (CLA) does have an impact on resource requirement.