The Portfolio Holder Decision Meeting of Harrow Council on Tuesday 26 May 2026 approved the continued membership of Harrow Council in the Foster with West London Regional Fostering Hub. This decision aims to enhance the recruitment of foster carers to support children in care, aligning with national government initiatives.

Regional Fostering Hub, Foster with West London

Harrow Council has approved its continued membership in the Foster with West London Regional Fostering Hub, a collaborative initiative involving eight London boroughs: Harrow, Ealing, Brent, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham. This decision supports the Department for Education's (DfE) programme, Renewing Fostering: homes for 10,000 more children, which aims to increase the number of foster carers.

The Foster with West London hub facilitates access to DfE central funding for an end-to-end foster carer recruitment programme. This is crucial due to a national decline in fostering homes, leading to more children being placed in residential care, which is often more costly and deprives children of family life. The hub's activities include supporting the Mockingbird model, which provides a network of foster households that support each other, mirroring an extended family structure.

The report presented to the council highlighted that the Foster with West London hub, launched in May 2024, has already achieved a 37% increase in approved foster carers across the region, exceeding the DfE programme target. For Harrow specifically, five new foster carers were approved through the hub.

The DfE has mandated that regional hubs expand their responsibilities to cover the entire foster carer recruitment process, from initial enquiry to approval and ongoing support. This expansion is expected to commence in September 2026. While the programme received grant funding for its initial years, local authorities will be expected to contribute between £230,000 and £240,000 per year from 2027/28 to ensure the hub's self-sustainability. For the 2026/27 financial year, Harrow's contribution is estimated to be between £60,000 and £70,000, supported by DfE grants and previous underspends.

The decision to continue membership was made by Councillor Paul Osborn, Leader of the Council. He agreed to the two recommendations outlined in the supplemental agenda: to approve the continued membership of Harrow Council in the Foster with West London Regional Fostering Hub and to delegate authority for decision-making regarding the hub to the Strategic Director of Children's Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children's Services.

The report noted that while the hub has shown positive performance, the increased funding requirement from 2027/28 may necessitate a restructuring of Harrow's Fostering Service. However, the council's Families First reforms are intended to enable service redesign and release funding. The report also highlighted potential environmental benefits, as recruiting local foster carers means children can remain within their communities, reducing travel for education and family visits.

An Equality Impact Analysis (EIA) will be conducted as the end-to-end model is developed to ensure inclusive recruitment methods, diverse community engagement, and support for carers with differing needs. The report stated that no negative equality impacts are anticipated at this stage.

The decision aligns with the council's priority of being A place where those in need are supported. The report also referenced the DfE's Renewing Fostering Reforms – Homes for 10,000 More Children publication, which sets out the government's vision for transforming the fostering system.^[1]