Issue - meetings

To provide an update on foster carer recruitment and retention throughout 2009-10 and set out future reporting proposals for 2010-11 and beyond.

The Committee was provided with an update on foster carer recruitment and retention throughout 2009-10 and set out future reporting proposals for 2010- 11 and beyond.

It was accepted that in order to meet both the outcomes for children and as a key part of the budget management strategy there was a need to improve the pool of good quality foster carers, especially  as there was a high drop out rate. There was also a need for a greater variety of carers. It was noted that although Haringey was in an adoption consortium with four other boroughs it was not considered likely to be so successful for fostering as the boroughs were competing with each other for carers.

Details of the recruitment process including the advertising campaign and the information meetings held for prospective households was noted, together with the key stages that a prospective carer had to  pass before approval. During the current year it was proposed to arrange sessions for prospective carers to hear from existing carers and to meet   some young people who had or were in foster care to talk about their experiences and what they wanted from a foster carer. As part of the improvements being made to the recruitment process it was planned that there would be information days held at community centres, places of worship, schools and the Tottenham Carnival.

It was agreed that the Committee would be regularly informed of the processes that an applicant had to pass through before being approved as a foster carer, and the reasons why carers left the service at any stage of the process. It was also important that systems were in place for monitoring the quality of the placements. Currently this was achieved through visiting the child and through link workers supporting and supervising carers.

RESOLVED:

1. That the report be noted.

2. That the Committee receive regular updates with detailed numbers of those going through the various stages of the recruitment process (including how the prospective carer heard about the opportunity), those leaving the service and the reasons, systems in place for monitoring quality and details of the information days to be organised.