PAPER B4

 

Committee :     SOCIAL SERVICES, HOUSING AND BENEFITS SELECT COMMITTEE        

Date :                  6 NOVEMBER 2002

 

Title :                   FOSTER CARE SERVICES AND NATIONAL MINIMUM STANDARDS

 

REPORT OF THE ACTING STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL        SERVICES AND HOUSING

 

 

1.                              SUMMARY/PURPOSE

To brief Members on potential developments effecting local Foster Care provision in the context of the new National Minimum Standards arising from the Care Standards Act 2000.

 

2.                              BACKGROUND

 

2.1.                          Members will be aware that the issue of foster care recruitment and retention has been the subject of several reports over the past year.  The difficulties contributing to the deteriorating situation have been set out previously and Members have indicated their interest in developing and enhancing the package of support available to foster carers on the Island.

 

2.2.                          At the commencement of this financial year the Foster Care Network nationally recommended rates were introduced as a first step in both recruiting and retaining carers.  This initiative was allied to a range of support activities aimed at demonstrating that the Authority values its carers, which took place throughout the summer.

 

2.3.                          Representatives from the Foster Care Association on the Island have indicated, to Members, that support for carers and underpinning services are essential in maintaining recruitment and retention of suitable carers.

 

2.4.                          To this end a growth bid is being developed which would potentially enable the Authority to address carers concerns. Developments may include:-

 

·       The development of multi-disciplinary working through the setting up of a new multi-agency team with four intensive foster care placements attached.

·          Strengthening ‘out of school’ provision

·          Support, through counselling, for children and young people demonstrating complex behaviours

·          Examining the scope to develop further enhancement of rates in the context of the wider foster care ‘market’

·          Transport available to carers

 

3.                              NATIONAL MINIMUM STANDARDS

 

3.1                          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.

 

3.2             The new Act mandates Local Authorities to “promote and safeguard the child/young persons physical, mental and emotional welfare” through the provision of 27 standards. The development of the multi-agency approach to augment heath and education listed above are underpinned by:

 

·         Standard 11 requires each young person receives health care which meets

     his/her needs for physical, emotional and social development

·         Standard 12 requires that the Fostering Service gives high priority to meeting educational needs

·         Standard 26 requires that appropriate payments are made to foster carers which cover the full cost of caring for a child

 

3.3             Furthermore the Government ‘Choice Protects’ initiative identifies, as a key                  objective the strategic multi-agency commissioning of packages of care and support for Looked after Children, together with the requirement to consider rewards for foster carers.

 

3.4             The Act clearly states that the aims and objectives of the fostering service are formally approved by Elected Members at least annually. Attached to this report (Appendix 1) is the draft Isle of Wight Fostering Service statement of purpose. This follows a format recommended in the guidance, which once approved will be circulated to all carers and service users.

 

4        FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

     The cost effect of proposed developments  will need to     

           be considered in the context of  a growth bids for 2003/2004.  Initial 

estimates suggest  potential developments to enhance foster carer support on                      the following basis:

 

PROPOSAL

COST

MIN

MAX

To recruit 2 carers and provide 4 placements at market rates 1st year

 

£75K

 

 

Strengthening out of school provision through sessional teaching input/post

 

 

£20K

 

£40K

Sessional counselling/ therapeutic post and outreach worker

 

 

£20K

 

£60K

Administration, equipment and accommodation

£26K

 

 

Enhancing local rates in line with market forces by   £30 per week per placement either as a flat rate  payment or through developing a programme of banded payments, rising year on year.

 

 

 

 

 

£150K

 

 

£270K

To bring adoption in line with fostering rates for foster carers who adopt

 

 

 

£56K

 

£95K

Transport  provision for larger sibling groups

 

£17.5

£35K

Support and social events

£5K

 

 

 

£145

£263.5

£500K

            Total Minimum costs £408.5K/Maximum £645K

 

5.         LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

The Local Authority is required to comply with the new standards, regulation and guidance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.          RECOMMENDATIONS

(i) That Members note the summary requirements of the National Minimum   Standards and formally approve the draft Statement of Purpose for the Isle of Wight.

 

(ii) That Members endorse the broad direction of proposals to support carers in keeping with the Care Standards Act and as part of the budget discussions in respect of 2003/2004

           

8.         BACKGROUND PAPERS

            Report to Social Services & Housing Select Committee 3 October 2001

            Report to Social Services & Housing Select Committee 20 December 2001

            Report to Social Services & Housing Select Committee 4 September 2002

 

9.         ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

            Care Standards Act 2000 – Fostering Services Regulations

 

 

Contact Point :  Prue Grimshaw Acting Head of Children’s Services, ( 520600

                            Sarah Pepys Manager Family Placement Team, 566011

 

 

                                                            J DOYLE

Acting Strategic Director of Social Services and Housing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX 1

 

Isle of Wight Council

Directorate of Social Services and Housing

 

Care Standards Act 2000

Fostering Service Regulation 2002-10-24

 

Statement of Purpose

 

Aims and Objectives of the Fostering Service

The Fostering Service on the Isle of Wight aims to:

·         Achieve and improve on the national minimum standards for Fostering Services. 

·         Provides 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. 

·         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.

 

Services and Facilities to be provided by the Fostering Service

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

 

The Fostering Service Management Structure

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

 

Numbers of Foster Carers – as of the 31st March 2002

·         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.

 

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.

 

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.       

 

This Statement of Purpose has been considered and approved by the Elected Members on the Isle of Wight Council Select Committee.  Members will review, update and modify the Statement, where necessary, at least annually.

 

Signed                                                                                                                                    Date

 

              Chair of Select Committee

              Isle of Wight Council