Agenda item

The Service Manager for Social Care and Safeguarding introduced the report. Main points are summarised below. It was outlined that there was a national shortage of carers however Haringey’s inhouse numbers were increasing and this was driven by the Recruitment Strategy. She stated that the key priorities were:

 · To ensure capacity was increased and the diverse needs of Haringey’s Looked After Children were met.

· To ensure carers were adequately trained and supported so that Looked After Children experienced high quality care.

· To ensure inhouse placements increased and therefore reliance on independent foster carers decreased. She stated that there was a wide range of foster carers over the age of 21. The team was successful in securing placements with Connected Carers - carers part of the child’s extended network of family and friends. Marketing techniques had been used to attract more carers. This approach had seen an increase in number of carers. Another objective had been to increase inhouse carers to reduce reliance on independent foster carers. The team’s current target was to recruit and approve eight new foster carers for this year and increase overall capacity by thirty. This would also include those currently with one placement increasing capacity to look after two. - A further objective of the team was to increase the recruitment of foster carers from diverse backgrounds to reflect the diversity of children coming into care. For this the team had extended outreach into the community. She referred to the presentation in the report for more information. - The team had also ensured the package was competitive enough to attract the right carers. She stated that the team had created a benefits and perks leaflet. - Another objective had been to expand on foster carers who specialise in different areas such as disabilities. The team had informed prospective foster carers about the opportunity to develop and specialise as they progress. One specialist foster carer was approved ,and another going to panel. She referred to the presentation for more information. This approach meant that children were not placed with an independent agency or residential homes. In 2023 the team had recruited: Page 7 o Five mainstream and five Connected Carers. o Ten Regulation 24 (or interim placements for children with a family). o Increased capacity for 2 more children within existing placements. o In total the team had increased capacity by thirty in inhouse fostering. In 2024 the team had recruited: o Ten mainstream carers and placed 13 children. o Six Connected Carers approved. o Placed eighteen children with 13 Regulation 24 carers. o Overall, the target for the year was thirty-three but this was exceeded to 43 children. This year so far, the team had recruited: o Two new mainstream carers. o Nine new Regulation 24 carers. o Working with inhouse carers to increase capacity for 5 more children. o In April 2024 had increased capacity to 9. Cllr Ali expressed approval for the plan and results so far. A question was raised as to how much the benefits and perks had influenced the recruitment drive. The Service Manager for Social Care and Safeguarding responded that some of that information was in the presentation at the back of the report. Another question was raised as to whether the partnership work with Islington Council was to Haringey’s advantage. The Service Manager for Social Care and Safeguarding responded affirmatively – she stated that targeted work had been done with Islington to find carers for the older cohort as well as emergency carers. There had been joint recruitment activities, two carers had been recruited and approved after the events. The Chair suggested that those aged above 60, should also be targeted as foster carers. She then asked a question about a recent campaign to support Kinship Carers being paid. The Service Manager for Social Care and Safeguarding clarified that Kinship Carers in Haringey were called Connected Carers and were treated the same as regular foster carers. The Director of Children’s Services pointed to the new statutory guidance regarding this – she outlined that her team would look at this and look at how Haringey’s offer measured up to the new guidance issued. ACTION .

Some discussion took place to clarify the various procedures that a child goes through for a placement in terms of finances of special guardianship, Kinship Carers or mainstream carers. The Director of Children’s Services clarified that the driver for placements would be a decision as to what was best for the child, then an assessment for the arrangement, and after this the finances arranged. She indicated the team had more special guardians approved than foster carers.

The Chair then indicated that a marketing film produced by the team and other local boroughs to recruit foster carers was outstanding. The Committee then watched the film.