The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Councillor Law, and the Director of Children’s Services, Nancy Meehan, outlined the submitted paper on the effectiveness of the arrangements for fostering and residential care, including options for meeting the needs of children and young people with complex needs who require specialist provision within Torbay.  The Council’s Sufficiency Strategy ensures the sufficiency of placements with foster carers and the Council and partners are continuing to look for ways to increase numbers and capacity and to make the best use of our foster carers through providing them with appropriate support and training. 

Members noted that there were currently 316 cared for children, 51% are living in Torbay, 21% living in neighbouring authorities areas and 28% living out of area – some of those living out of area as this best meets their needs and established relationships.

The Board acknowledged the work with partners to try to increase the number of foster carers, such as the appointment of a dedicated Officer for Fostering Recruitment and Retention and the work with Home for Good, who work with local churches and church groups recruiting and supporting foster carers.  It was important to get out and about and once restrictions allow stands will be set up at appropriate events to talk to potential new foster carers.  People take a long time between thinking about becoming a foster carer to actually coming forward.  There were 95 enquiries last year and we currently have 86 foster families but still need more.

The Council was doing all it can to place children with foster families as a permanent solution as we want them to feel they will be loved within the family and achieve better outcomes, ideally within Torbay.  The number of children in residential was currently 19 as a result of positive sufficiency work over the past year, this was from a highest point of 46.

The Board asked question in relation to the following:

·                     the report referred to introducing the Independent Placement Panel in August 2019 what happened before – previously there had been a High Cost Panel whose terms of reference included looking at the number of children in residential care and if this was the best in terms of cost and stability.  We want to be restorative and the name High Cost Panel does not give the right impression, it is about what is right for the children and the value of the placement not the cost associated with the child – this is why it was replaced by the Independent Placement Panel which oversees all of our external placements;

·                     who is the new Fostering Recruitment and Retention Manager – Sophie Harbon-Powell;

·                     how long does it take from an enquiry to becoming a foster carer – there is a two stage process (stage 1 is two months and stage 2 is four months) these stages can run concurrently and it could take up to 16 weeks (four months); and

·                     the Council awarded Freedom of the Borough of Torbay to two of our foster carers in recognition of the large numbers of children they had supported, did the publicity around this lead to an increase in enquires – there were more enquiries last year compared to others – a written response will be circulated to the Board around the numbers following the publicity of the Freedom of the Borough of Torbay on 26 February 2021.

Members felt that the reports under minutes 4 and 4.1 had been very informative and were satisfied by the responses provided to their questions that appropriate action and progress was being made in respect of workforce development and sufficiency of placements and commissioning at this time.