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Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel - Wednesday, 22nd May, 2024 10.00 am

May 22, 2024 View on council website  Watch video of meeting Read transcript (Professional subscription required)
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Summary

The meeting focused on the introduction of Councillor Emma Marshall as the new chair and the discussion of the Valuing Care project aimed at improving the sufficiency of children’s placements in Worcestershire.

Valuing Care Project

The main topic of discussion was the Valuing Care project, which aims to ensure that children in care have a family care experience. The project addresses the challenge of finding enough foster families for children, especially those with complex needs due to abuse, trauma, or separation. Over the past two years, there has been an increase in the number of children under 12 needing residential care due to a lack of available family carers.

Placement Options

The council considers three options for placing children in care:

  1. Connected Persons: First, they look for someone already known to the child who can provide care.
  2. Mainstream Foster Care: If no connected person is available, they look within their own pool of foster carers.
  3. Independent Foster Care: If neither of the above options is available, they look for independent, external foster families.

Challenges and Solutions

The council has seen a rise in family members willing to support children, but there is still a shortage of foster carers. Many foster carers are retiring, and recruitment has not kept pace with the loss. The council has introduced specialist foster carers who can earn £1,000 a week for caring for children with challenging behaviors, such as self-harm or violence. This initiative aims to recruit and convert existing foster carers into specialist roles.

Financial Impact

The cost of children's placements, including foster and residential care, is a significant financial burden. The council is looking at ways to reduce these costs while ensuring that children receive the best possible care. The introduction of specialist foster carers is one such measure, which has already shown financial savings by preventing children from entering residential care.

Empower Consulting

Dominic Laskin from Empower Consulting presented their role in supporting the Valuing Care project. Empower is the largest consulting firm focused solely on local government and aims to improve outcomes for children and young people while reducing costs. They will work closely with the council to identify opportunities for transitioning children from residential settings to family placements and to strengthen foster care recruitment and retention.

Future Plans

The project will run until October, with a focus on:

  • Profiling the needs of children and young people.
  • Understanding the confidence and ability of foster carers to meet those needs.
  • Using a valuing care approach to match children with suitable foster carers.
  • Developing and strengthening the existing approach to foster care recruitment and retention.

Questions and Concerns

Councillors raised concerns about the shortage of foster carers and the financial package offered to them. They also discussed the importance of ensuring that children in care receive the best possible support and that the council's efforts are financially sustainable.

Conclusion

The meeting concluded with a commitment to continue working on the Valuing Care project and to report back on its progress in future meetings. The council aims to ensure that all children in care have a family care experience and to address the financial challenges associated with children's placements.

Attendees

Dominic Luscombe
Fiona Kivett
Tina Russell
Maria White
Hannah Perrott
Judith Gibbs
Daniel Gray
Matt Tope
Samantha Morris
Alyson Grice
Alison Spall
Melanie Barnett
Profile image for CouncillorMatt Jenkins
CouncillorMatt Jenkins  Green And Independent Alliance Group Leader •  Green Party
Profile image for CouncillorNathan Desmond
CouncillorNathan Desmond  Chairman of Audit and Governance Committee •  Conservative
Profile image for CouncillorJo Monk
CouncillorJo Monk  Leader of the Council •  Reform UK
Profile image for CouncillorDavid Chambers
CouncillorDavid Chambers  Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Education •  Conservative
Profile image for CouncillorEmma Marshall
CouncillorEmma Marshall  Chairman, Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel •  Conservative
Profile image for CouncillorBrandon Clayton
CouncillorBrandon Clayton  Chairman of Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee •  Conservative
Profile image for CouncillorTony Muir
CouncillorTony Muir  Independent
Profile image for CouncillorMel Allcott
CouncillorMel Allcott  Chair of the Adult Care and Well Being Overview and Scrutiny Panel •  Liberal Democrats
Profile image for CouncillorAllah Ditta
CouncillorAllah Ditta  Vice-Chairman of the Council •  Conservative
Profile image for CouncillorSteve Mackay
CouncillorSteve Mackay  Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Children and Families •  Conservative

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.

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