Date : 29 JANUARY 2003
Title : CARE STANDARDS ACT - FOSTER
CARE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES
AND HOUSING
SUMMARY/PURPOSE
1. The
Care Standards Act 2000 clearly states that a Local Authority’s Fostering
Service’s Statement of Purpose, Aims and Objectives are, formally, approved by
Elected Members at least annually. They are attached to this report in Appendix
1.
2. The
Statement of Purpose follows a format recommended by Government guidance, and
is as recommended by the Select Committee in November 2002. Once approved will
be circulated to all carers and service users.
BACKGROUND - NATIONAL MINIMUM STANDARDS
3. National
Minimum Standards and Fostering Service
Regulations have been published by the Secretary of State under section 23(1)
of the Care Standards Act 2000. These foster care regulations and standards
replace the Foster Placement (Children) Regulations 1991.
4. The
new Act mandates Local Authorities to “promote and safeguard the child/young
persons physical, mental and emotional welfare” in Local Authority care through
the provision of 27 standards.
5. Foster
Care Services on the Island will be being inspected against these aims and
objectives and associated standards by the Care Standards Commission in
February of this year.
STRATEGIC
CONTEXT
6.
The
Care Standards Act lays down the minimum standards required, and expects these
standards to be continually improved by both comparison with those “best in
class” Authorities and research into best practice.
7.
This
paper links directly with
issues of foster care recruitment, retention and support that have been the
subject of several reports over the past year to Select Committee. A growth bid has been submitted for
consideration in this year’s budget process, with a view to enhancing our fostering
service, and hence the care and well-being of children in Local Authority
care.
8. Maintaining and improving our
performance for looked after children is reflected in local and national
objectives through Quality Protects and the Performance Assessment Framework
Indicators. Our achievements and areas for improvement are part of the
Children’s Services Service Plan review and are linked to the following
Corporate Objectives:
·
Providing
high quality Council services
·
Improving
health, housing and the quality of life for all
·
Raising
education standards and promoting lifelong learning
·
Creating safe
and crime-free communities
·
Encouraging
job creation and economic prosperity
CONSULTATION
9. Foster Carers
have been kept informed of the requirements of the Act by newsletter and
through their support workers. Staff have received briefings through management
and team meetings. A paper was received by the Social Services, Housing and
Welfare Benefits Select Committee in November. The Isle of Wight Foster Care
Association made representations to the Select Committee at that time.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
10. There
are no immediate cost implications in approving these aims and objectives.
11. Improvements in practice will continue, as a matter of course, to be assessed and reviewed. Planned service enhancements in the future are reliant on the potential for proposed growth in this budget area in 2003/04.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
12. The Local Authority is required to comply with the new standards, regulation and guidance under the Care Standards Act 2000 and approve the Fostering Service Statement of Purpose – Aims & Objectives.
OPTION
13. To approve, as required by statute, the Fostering Service Statement of Purpose – Aims & Objectives.
EVALUATION
/ RISK MANAGEMENT
14. Approval
of the Statement of Purpose in time for the forthcoming inspection of our
Service is important in achieving a positive assessment of performance. This
will contribute to the revised assessment for Star Rating and future Corporate
Performance Assessment.
15. The Fostering Service requires the continuing support and future investment by the Council if we are to improve on our current practice as laid out in the aims and objectives and the implementation of the Government’s ‘Choice Protects’ initiative which identifies the need for strategic multi-agency commissioning of packages of care and support for Looked after Children, together with the requirement to consider reviewing rewards for Foster Carers
RECOMMENDATIONS
That Members note the summary requirements of
the National Minimum Standards and formally approve the draft Statement of
Purpose for the Isle of Wight Fostering Service as required by the Care
Standards Act 2000.
BACKGROUND PAPERS
·
Report and minutes of
the Social Services & Housing Select Committee 6th November 2002
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
·
Care Standards Act 2000
– Fostering Services Regulations
Contact
Points: Prue Grimshaw Acting Head of
Children’s Services,
01983
520600 e-mail [email protected]
Sarah Pepys Manager Family Placement Team,
01983 566011 e-mail [email protected]
|
J DOYLE Acting Strategic Director of Social Services and
Housing |
R. MAZILLIUS Portfolio Holder for Social Services and Housing |
The
Fostering Service on the Isle of Wight aims to:
· Achieve
and improve on the national minimum standards for Fostering Services.
· Provide
foster placements for Island children whose needs have been assessed and found
to be best met by fostering. (Wherever possible a placement will be found in
the young person’s own community on the Isle of Wight.)
· Placements will be made with approved foster carers
only, except where
a young person can be placed with a relative or friend, pending an
assessment being undertaken.
· Contact between young people being looked after and
their parents and
friends
will be actively encouraged.
· Where ever possible siblings will be accommodated
together.
The
Isle of Wight Fostering Service seeks to ensure there is a choice of high
quality foster placements available to meet the individual needs of each young
person. Each foster family will have a
support worker. Areas of particular
skill and experience will be developed and training needs identified and addressed. Carer’s registration will be reviewed and
the Fostering Panel will monitor the progress of all carers.
Carers
and social workers will support the health and educational needs of young
people. Specific needs will assessed and referrals made to agencies such as
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, the Local Education Authority and
the Youth Offending Team. Quality
Protects & joint funded posts have been set up to facilitate the needs of
looked after children
A
Service Manager holds responsibility for the Fostering Service at third tier
level. The Family Placement Team
Manager and Deputising Senior Practitioner (Fostering) manage the service.
The Service Provided
The Service recruits, prepares, assesses, trains and
supports foster carers and their families.
Carers are recruited to offer a range of fostering services to fit the
needs of children. The service works to
the policy and procedures set out in the Fostering Service Procedure
manual. Foster Carers have a handbook,
which guides their practise and clarifies the expectations and standards.
The
numbers, qualifications and experience of staff
The Family Placement Team
comprises:
Team
Manager - Sarah Pepys - Qualified 1974. CQSW. Family Placement Certificate
1991., NVQ Foster Care Assessor 1994., Cert. in Management Studies 1998
Deputy/Senior
Practitioner (Fostering) - Launa Brinton
- Qualified 1994 Dip SW. Practise
Teacher Award 2002.
Social
Worker (Fostering) - Val Drayton - Qualified 1987 CSS
Social
Worker (Fostering) - Jamie Peck - Qualified 1992 Dip SW
Social
Worker (Fostering/part time) – Helen Luckett – Qualified 1994 Dip SW. Practise Teacher Award 2002.
Social
Worker (Fostering/part time) – Alison Wroe – Qualified 1994 Dip SW
Social
Worker (Fostering) – vacancy *
Social
Worker (Family Link/part time) – vacancy *
Social
Worker (Family Link/part time) - Claire Underwood - Qualified 1985 CQSW and Dip
SW. Adopter and Foster Carer
Supervising/support worker (Fostering) - Helen Jacobs - ex foster carer
Supervising/support
worker (Family Link) - Jane Cadman - ex foster carer
Senior
Practitioner (Combined Accommodation Scheme) – vacancy *
Social
Worker (Combined Accommodation Scheme) – Bryan Pyner – Qualified 2002 Dip SW
Supervising/support
worker (Combined Accommodation Scheme) – vacancy *
Operational
Support - Jane Sklaroff
Operational
Support (part time) - Sue Pyner
Operational
Support (CAS - part time) – vacancy *
* The Recruitment and Retention
Task Group is actively addressing vacancies in childcare. Members of this Task
Group are from management, staff, Personnel, together with Elected Members.
· 82 general foster carers
· 25 family and friends/specific carers
· 45 Family Link carers
In the past year 14 new carers have been appointed and 40 were
deregistered.
Numbers of Children Placed
As of 31st March 2002, there were 195
children in placement, 161 in full time placements, with 34 having short-term
breaks.
Number of complaints and their outcomes
As at 31st March 2001 there had been five
recorded complaints about foster carers in the previous year. In each case consideration was given to
whether child protection issues were involved and procedures followed. The Fostering Panel was kept advised about
the complaints and reviewed one registration, as a result.
Role of Members
Members are aware of their corporate parenting role.
The Isle of Wight Foster Care Association regularly attends and contributes to
the Select Committee. The Portfolio Holder and the Chairman of the Select
Committee regularly meets with Island Foster Carers.
Procedures and Processes for Recruiting, approving, training, supporting
and reviewing carers
A
local recruitment drive was set up in October 2001 as part of a two-year
strategy. There is regular on going advertising in the press, via posters and
bookmarks, together with articles in the newspapers and on the local
radio. All expressions of interest are
quickly picked up with a pack of information sent out within three working
days. The Portfolio Holder and Select Committee Chair have themselves distributed
over 2,000 leaflets encouraging Island families to consider fostering.
Having established that the family understands the
fostering task, a social worker is allocated to complete the assessment. The assessment process requires both
applicants attending all the Preparation for Fostering groups. The assessment will be always be evidenced
based and on completion, the final document will be shared with the applicants,
before it is presented to the Fostering Panel.
Applicants are invited to attend Panel and present their own views. The Fostering Panel will pass its
recommendation on the applicant’s approval to the Head of Children’s Services
for a decision. Once approved the first
review will take place after six months.
This will consider whether the family’s skills match up to those
anticipated and provide the family with an opportunity to see if fostering is
working for them. The review will be
presented to the Panel whose recommendation will confirm, or not, the
registration. Thereafter annual reviews
will take place. There is a training
calendar provided for all carers, and an expectation that general foster carers
will attend at least 3 workshops every year.
Once
approved each foster caring family has their own supervisor who will visit
monthly. The Fostering Service provides
a 24-hour telephone duty service to support carers in their work. Additional
support services are the subject of a growth bid.
This
Statement of Purpose has been considered and approved by the Elected Members on
the Isle of Wight Council Executive Committee.
Members will review, update and modify the Statement, where necessary,
at least annually.
Signed Date
Mrs. S. A. Smart
Chairman of Executive
Isle of Wight Council |
Mr. R. Mazillius
Portfolio Holder for
Social Services and Housing Isle of Wight Council |