1 Summary

The following decisions are sought.

1.1 That the Statement of Purpose and Children's Guide be approved.

2 Reason(s)

2.1 In order to comply with Fostering Regulations.

2.2 The fostering services ability to provide a range of different family based care, impacts on the departments performance in a number of priority areas which are identified in the Delivery and Improvement Statement and the County's Corporate Strategic Aim of improving life chances.

3 Other options considered and rejected

3.1 None.

4 Conflicts of Interest declared by the decision-maker or a Member or Officer consulted

4.1 None.

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1 N/A.

6 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

Approved by: Date of decision:

Councillor Felicity Hindson

1.0 On 1^st April 2002 the Fostering Services Regulations 2002 and National Minimum standards for Fostering Services were introduced, to ensure that all fostering providers (whether local authority, Independent or voluntarily run and managed) complied with those standards.

1.1 In addition the National Care Standards Act (2000) requires all Fostering Services to be inspected annually by the National Care Standards Commission.

1.2 Social Care Policy Review Committee formally recommended that the Statement of Purpose and Childrens guide be approved by the Executive Member for Social Care .

1.3 The Statement of Purpose is attached as Appendix A to this report and is necessarily a summary of information required. It is written in a way which is accessible to all foster parents, families of children in foster care and foster children. It is to be issued to all of the above along with a "Children's Guide" which should set out for children the services they can expect, including information about the complaints and comments procedure, whilst in foster care.

1.4 Structure of the Service

The Fostering Service remodelled along with the whole of Children's Services, in 2002, and a single operational service manager was identified, as well as 4 dedicated team managers one for each district and are to manage the County Fostering recruitment Team (See Appendix B).

1.4.1 Much of the effort since remodelling has been to directed towards recruiting new foster carers, family link carers and family/friends foster carers, and to offer a range of training and support services to retrain as many foster carers as possible.

1.4.2 Alongside this staff have been working to ensure that new regulations and standards are complied with, so that children who are looked after achieve their potential.

1.4.3 The annual inspection in February 2003 confirmed what was already known to be strengths and weaknesses of the service, and efforts have been directed at a number of priorities for improving the service.

1.5 Fostering Panel function.

One priority area for development is in the membership and function of fostering panels. Regulations require that an elected member be on every fostering panel of which there are six in Hampshire. So far efforts to achieve elected member representation on panel have not been successful.

1.5.1 Panel membership, as well as being critical to our compliance with regulations, would strengthen members' understanding of the issues facing foster carers and children looked after in public care. Equally vital, it would provide further evidence of a real commitment by the County Council, to its foster carers, who have a difficult task to do, and who often see little evidence of others appreciation.

1.5.2 The function of the panel is to recommend that a foster carer be approved or otherwise, to oversee reviews and complaints against carers, to oversee and approve children's plans for long-term care within the fostering service, and to comment on and influence policy.

1.6 Support for foster carers and their families

Support for foster carers is an area where improvements can always be made, and have continued to be made over the year.

Foster Carers are supervised regularly and formally, and foster carers children are also given an opportunity to comment on their experiences of fostering so that any support issues can be picked up .

A new trainer has been recruited to specifically meet foster carers training needs; family link allowances have been increased, and family link carers have been invited to join the "payments for skills" scheme.

1.6.1 The Hampshire Fostering Network has continued to work in close partnership with staff to ensure that issues are discussed which are important to foster carers. For example, improvements to the payment process; guidance about health and safety in foster carers homes; advise as to the safe use of baby and infant car seats. In addition the fostering network has organised and run a barbecue fun day for all fostering families, a children's fun day, and its annual General meeting with workshops and speakers from the national and local arena.

1.6.2 An up to date Fostering Handbook is being developed which will also appear on the foster carers website.

1.7 Recruitment of Foster carers

The county recruitment team has employed a dedicated recruitment and marketing specialist to ensure that the profile of Hampshire Fostering Service is raised, and to consider with the management team, the issues which will encourage new foster carers to join the service.

1.7.1 In the last year the county has recruited 48 new foster carers, a combination of `stranger' foster carers and `Family and Friends' foster carers. There are currently 63 assessments underway across the county, not all of which, of course, will proceed to full approval at panel.

In addition, 26 foster carers ceased fostering for a variety of reasons, and an increased number of placements in foster carer were `lost' by foster carers adopting a child in their care...a good outcome for the child of course!

1.7.2 This area of work continues to be a challenge to Hampshire and other local authorities, and ideas from foster carers themselves, as to what attracts and keeps them in fostering are often the most valuable.

1.7.3 Performance and Activity

The fostering services ability to provide a range of different family based care, impacts on the departments performance in a number of priority areas which are identified in the Delivery and Improvement Statement and the County's Corporate Strategic Aim of improving life chances.

i) Percentage of looked after children placed with friends and family (1104)

The department has made improvements in this area in the last year and continues to develop services to enable children to be placed with family members or friends.

ii) Percentage of children looked after with 3 or more placements during one year. (1105/PAFA1).

The department needs to improve its performance in this area. More foster carers would mean greater choice, so that children and young people would be more likely to be placed appropriately from the start of their placement.

iii) Percentage of children looked after continually for at least 4 years who have been in their foster placement for at least 2 years (1106/PAF D35.)

The departments performance in this area is good, though increased numbers of foster carers would always have a positive impact on the stability of placement for children.

iv) Percentage of children looked after (excluding those placed with parents) who were in foster places or placed for adoption. (1107/PAFB7).

The departments performance is good in this area with over 80% of children in Hampshire's care being looked after in a family setting.

v) Young Children (Under 10) looked after in foster placements or placed for adoption. (1108/PAF C22).

The department scores highly in this area with only 5% of under 10's experiencing care in residential homes rather than families. Even so, this is an area which can be improved.

vi) Protection from Abuse and Neglect. (Objective 2).

Foster carers are assessed, trained and supported in their care of children, who have a huge variety of backgrounds and needs. Children who have been neglected or abused can be especially vulnerable and foster carers are pivotal in helping the department to keep children safe.

vii) Life chances of children looked after (Objective 4)

Most foster carers have been provided with a computer to which the child in their care has access. Foster Carers ensure that children are encouraged to achieve their potential in school, experience a range of leisure activities, and access the services they need to develop physically and emotionally. More young people are remaining with their foster carer beyond the age of 16 and receiving support in accessing further education, training and employment (1503).

viii) To ensure that children with specific social needs arising out of a disability or health condition are helping families or other appropriate settings in the community. (Objective 6).

The department is continuously striving to improve services for children with disabilities who need to live away from home, by enhancing services to foster carers so that as many children as possible live in families as opposed to residential care. In addition, a significant number of children are supported in their own families by accessing the fostering services "link scheme" which recruits foster carers who are linked to specific children and offer regular, short periods of care to children, to give their own families a break, and broaden the experience of the child. Hampshire has recently increased the fee and allowance payable under this scheme and is always keen to recruit new carers, to enable there to be greater choice of placement.

ix) To involve users and carers in panning service (Objective 8). Hampshire Foster Carers have an active and lively representative committee called the Hampshire Fostering Network (HFN) which works in partnership with senior managers and staff to ensure that services to foster carers are planned and prioritised so that foster carers are active participants in service development.

Appendix A

Hampshire Fostering Service Statement of Purpose

Aims and Objectives and Principles of Care

Hampshire County Council Social Services Department has a family placement service which covers the whole of Hampshire. The purpose of the family placement service is to provide a range of good quality family based care for children of all ages in Hampshire, who are unable to stay in their own families, either within our own resources or through independent fostering agencies in the Hampshire area.

Families are provided for children and young people who need to be cared for, for short or long periods of time, or for a planned series of short breaks. Where possible a child will be "matched" with a family who is from the same cultural or religious background, and who has the skills and training to care for the child, including children who have specific health, dietary, educational, physical or emotional needs.

Where this is not possible training, advice, equipment, and access to specialist help is arranged to support foster carers and children.

Structure of the Service

The service is made up of a county wide recruitment team and 3 district teams. The fostering recruitment team receives information about specific children requiring family placements, and general information about children's needs, in order to achieve a strategic approach to recruitment.

The three district teams are located in six offices located across Hampshire. Each team covers a district as follows:

North Team - Basingstoke, Alton and Aldershot

South East Team - Fareham, Gosport, Havant and Petersfield

South West Team - New Forest, Eastleigh, Romsey, Andover and Winchester

These teams receive information about children and young people who need to live in a family setting, on a short or long term basis or about children who need a family to offer regular short stays to a child with a disability, in order to support that child and its family. This is the family link scheme which is partly paid for by the health trusts in Hampshire.

Family and Friends Carers

The district family placement teams will work with the child's social worker, in the first instance, to see if anyone who is in the child's extended family or kinship network could, with support and financial assistance, look after that child.

Only when that is not possible, will the family placement social worker look for suitable placement with an already approved foster carer, or ask the recruitment team

to try to recruit a foster carer specifically for that child. The foster carer may be a Hampshire foster carer, or may foster for an Independent Fostering Agency (IFA).

Recruitment of Foster carers and the Fostering panel

The Fostering service recruits and assesses foster carers, offers training and advice, and operates the fostering panels, of which there are six in Hampshire. These each meet monthly and they recommend on the approval of foster carers, and oversee regular reviews of foster carers, to ensure a high quality of care. They also approve the quality of plans made for children who need permanent care away from home. Fostering panel membership is strictly regulated.

Supervision and Support

Foster carers, on approval, receive regular supervision and support, during the working week from the family placement social workers, social services assistants and foster care support workers.

Out of office hours support and guidance is available through the Hampshire Out of Hours Service. In addition to this there is a dedicated Foster Carer Support line which is run in conjunction with the Carers Support line.

Hampshire Fostering Network

Hampshire foster carers have a local network of support groups represented on a central committee who meet monthly with managers and family placement staff, and regularly with senior managers and elected members, to ensure that issues of mutual interest and importance are addressed. The fostering network are also integral to the recruitment of new foster carers.

Information and Training

Access to specialist information is available to all Hampshire foster carers through the Hampshire Social Services library and a programme of specific training is also available, enabling foster carers to progress through several "skill levels". Foster carers are also supported in accessing the NVQ3 in childcare. A specific trainer has been recruited to ensure that foster carers receive the training they require.

A foster carers website has been developed so that foster carers can access information more easily. There is also a website for looked after children which links to the foster carers website.

A new fostering hand book is due to be printed shortly, which will provide a comprehensive guide for all foster carers in the county.

Staffing

2 service managers (one operational/one strategic)

4 team managers

1 senior practitioner

27.5 qualified social workers

1 marketing co-ordinator

12.5 social services assistants

7.25 family link co-ordinators

3.5 foster care support workers

Administrative support is provided by social services resources team.

Foster carers

There are 555 Foster carers registered with Hampshire Fostering Service, and 110 family link Foster carers. About 10% of Foster carers are not fostering at any one time, due to personal or family circumstances. This reflects the national position.

There are 596 children placed with Hampshire Fosters carers, and another 75 children who have had Foster carers identified with Independent Fostering agencies.

There are in the region of 120 children receiving regular respite care with the Family Link service.

Comments and Complaints

All foster carers are aware of the Hampshire County Council Comments and Complaints procedure should they need to use it. Should foster carers wish to complain or comment to an outside body they are invited to contact the National Care Standards Commission on 02380 8213000.

All children who are living in Hampshire foster care placements are provided with information about how to comment or complain about any aspect of their care or supervision.

In the last year, 45 complaints were made against foster carers which were all investigated, with one leading to the foster carer deregistering. This is an area which causes foster carers stress and anxiety and where support from the fostering service is critical. Foster carers who have experienced complaints being made about them, often provide the most useful support, and efforts are made to link foster carers to a colleague so that they can seek advice for themselves and their families.

Allowances and Fees

All foster carers and family link carers receive an allowance to meet the expense of caring for a child which is based on the national recommended rate. These rates are reviewed annually, and published in order that all foster carers are notified.

Some foster carers and family link carers also receive a fee in recognition of their skills.

Appendix B Hampshire Fostering Service - Who is Who?

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The Following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt of confidential information as defined in the Act.