Agenda item

This report sets out performance data and trends for an agreed set of measures relating to looked after children.

The Committee considered the end of year summary  of performance information relating to  looked after children.  The report pulled together all the performance information considered on a monthly basis  by the committee  and reflected on the issues and challenges  going forward.

 Overall, the number of children in care was reducing  and reflected the  better practice in planning, commissioning less residential  and move in Foster carer in the borough.  There were smarter objectives on assessing early on  whether  a child  can realistically live  with parents , whether a foster  carer from the family can be sought,  or kinship carer appointed . there was a need to be confident  with partnership  working before  discussion about  having resources lined up in the right place to support families.

Comment was made on the  number of foster carers recruited  , this was  much reduced from previous years .The contributing factors to the reduction in  house foster carers was that  some foster carers were adopting   and  there was also a cohort that were now retiring. The fostering service review was occurring at a time when there was a need to  consider these factors and  have an analysis of what was needed to improve the service The review had already identified a number of blockages to the recruitment of  Foster carers . It was clarified that  there was no pressure put on foster carers to adopt , although there was more impetus  placed on  early permanency planning in  the last year, it  was an activity that had been in place for a significant number of years and  therefore any transgressional (fostering to Adoption)placements were  always agreed at an early  stage of permanency planning.

It was commented that issues concerning the lack of in house foster carers that  lived in the borough had been  consistently raised by this committee over a number of years . It was accepted that  the number of in house foster carers recruited had not been good and generally the service did not offer value for money. However, the newly appointed interim Head of Service for commissioning and placements  advised the committee that he had seen  high quality placements taken forward by Placement  officers and they had very good job in finding good matches  for Children and young people coming into care. Part of the work by impower would be  looking into the assumptions  about being a foster carer . Some members  of the committee felt that there  should also be an opportunity for  them to  have an  input  in the review and share their experience of  being part of the committee which  had looked at  the fostering service through performance reports and  fostering recruitment drives over the years.  The  Chair and Interim Head of  Commissioning and Placements agreed to facilitate this focus group meeting  with Committee   members  and  impower.

 83.3 reviews had taken place  within timescales against a target of 95% . It was noted that I if the review meeting date was missed by just one day then  it was calculated as being out of timescale.  In terms of OP148 it was clarified that the percentages  calculated were in relation to a total of 5 young people.