Agenda item
Fostering Service Quarterly Report
The purpose of this report is to provide information to the Council’s Corporate Parenting Committee about the general management of the in-house fostering service and how it is achieving good outcomes for children. This is in accordance with standard 25.7 of the Fostering National Minimum Standards (2011).
Minutes:
Onder Beter (Head of LAC and Permanency) introduced the Brent Fostering Service Quarterly Monitoring Report for the period 1 January 2019 to 31 March 2019. Members’ attention was drawn to the summary of activities regarding foster carer recruitment. Onder Beter highlighted that 13 assessments had commenced during the reporting period with eight at Stage1 and five at Stage 2 of the process. There had been significant increase in the targeted recruitment activity and outreach activity undertaken, including an increased social media presence, following the recruitment of a Marketing Officer. This was reflected in the increased number of assessments from the last reporting period.
Outlining other key developments, Onder Beter highlighted the positive reception of the social pedagogue approach, noting that an art intervention workshop for foster carers, their birth children and foster children had been really well received. The committee further heard that one of the Fostering Team’s Supervising Social Workers had acquired a Level 3 Diploma in Social Pedagogy. This enabled her to work closely with Brent’s Social Pedagogue to assist in implementing social pedagogic practice.
In concluding his introduction to the report, Onder Beter updated members on the work with neighbouring local authorities to develop combined, needs-led, targeted marketing and recruitment and commissioning. The council was currently leading on this work, with Ealing and Hounslow councils and a bid was due to be submitted to the Department for Education for seed funding to further explore the feasibility of a joined up service for the three authorities.
The Chair thanked Onder Beter for his introduction to the report.
Reflecting on the feedback received from foster carers at a previous meeting of the committee, members subsequently questioned whether the take up of training was affected by the school holidays. Noting the recent successes in increasing targeted foster carer recruitment activity, the committee questioned the timeline for this being reflected in performance data for the percentage of children placed with in-house foster carers. During the discussion, members reiterated their request for further information about the quality of semi-independent provision.
With the permission of the Chair, Councillor McLennan queried whether Hammersmith and Fulham Council would be joining the work to develop joint recruitment and commissioning activity.
Onder Beter confirmed that officers were reviewing the learning and development offer for foster carers and were taking in to consideration the views shared by carers, including those regarding availability. Members were further informed that it was likely that it would take at least six months to see an impact of increased recruitment activity, but the placement of children with in-house foster carers would still be dependent on the profile and needs of Brent’s LAC population. Nigel Chapman (Operational Director Integration and Improved Outcomes) confirmed that a report would be submitted to a future meeting of the committee on Semi-Independent Accommodation. It was highlighted that a multiagency audit of this provision had recently been undertaken via a work stream of the Brent Children’s Trust and the update to the committee would include the findings from this audit. It was confirmed that Hammersmith and Fulham had shown interest in the work to develop a joint recruitment and commissioning service but Hammersmith and Fulham council remained embedded in their tri-borough arrangements.
The Chair thanked everyone for their contribution to the discussion.
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