Purpose

Cabinet is recommended to
approve the creation of a new northeast London fostering
recruitment service.
 

Content

Cabinet noted the
progress of the pilot Fostering Recruitment and Retention programme
since the funding bid was approved.
 
Options & Alternatives Considered

Alternative options include a) continuing ‘as
is’ and b) trialling other
innovative approaches to fostering recruitment 

Continuing ‘as is’

(a)          
across the country, spend on children’s
placements is at unsustainable levels; the high costs associated
with independent fostering agencies and private residential care
are a primary driver of that spend. 
Continuing ‘as is’ provides no mitigation against
rising spend on independent fostering agencies and private
residential care.  This grant funded
pilot provides an opportunity to test regional ways of working and
extend our existing, successful Mockingbird provision.  Mockingbird is an evidence-based, licenced model
that for some children, provides a safe, sustainable and nurturing alternative to residential
care, helping to drive down spend on residential placements. A
regional, scaled up approach to promoting fostering aims to
generate increased numbers of high-quality enquiries from
prospective carers.

(b)          
Following the recommendations of the Care Review and
learning from Regional Adoption Agencies, central government have
set out a clear policy intention to regionalise fostering
recruitment.  Nearly two thirds of all
local authorities in England are participating in this pilot
programme. By continuing ‘as is’ and forfeiting the
opportunity to lead one of the clusters, LB Waltham Forest would be
less able to influence how regionalisation develops both at a local
and national level.
Trialling other innovative approaches to fostering
recruitment:
 

(c)          
The recruitment and retention of foster carers is a
corporate priority and well supported across the
council.  Our recent
‘#betheone’ campaign has
generated a significant interest in fostering for LB Waltham Forest
and an increased number of fostering applications are in progress
as a consequence.
 

(d)          
Initiatives like this are not inhibited by the pilot
and will continue alongside the regional approach; where there is
sufficient funding, we are able to continue trialling new
approaches to bolster foster carer recruitment.