The Head of Children’s Social Care presented a report, the purpose of which, was to provide the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting with information about the work done to date on establishing a National Fostering Framework.

She added that the report should be read in conjunction with the National Fostering Framework briefing paper attached at Appendix 1 to the report. This paper provided additional information, and was prepared by the Project Manager of the National Fostering Framework, for the intention of enabling the Strategic Steering Group to agree and support specific work streams and projects going forward. It had also been revised to include BCBC specific data.

The Head of Children’s Social Care advised that the Framework would also improve the co-ordination of a number of different plans, policies and protocols and assistance more effectively in monitoring performance.

Paragraph 3.3 of the report advised that the case for change was hugely supported, and that there was a strong consensus about creating a National Fostering Framework, and this section of the report outlined the likely component parts of the framework.

The creation of a National Framework, was seen as a means of ensuring that known concerns are addressed, and to introduce greater consistency without sacrificing the acknowledged strengths and diversity of local accountability within the current system.

The Head of Children’s Social Care referred to the present situation, and confirmed that a Strategic Steering Group had been established, with representation from Welsh Government, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Cymru, the Fostering Network, Association for Fostering and Adoption (AFA) Cymru, Voices from Care, a designated Doctor for Looked After Children, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Education, the Childrens Commissioning Support Resource (4C’s) and Cascade, with this group providing strategic oversight and direction. Implementation of each of the recommendations endorsed by the Steering Group was anticipated to take place over two to three years, through a workstreams programme.

Paragraph 4.2 of the report then outlined examples of what the Work Programme for 2016-17 would include, whilst paragraph 4.4 of the report gave examples of what the development of a National Performance Framework would provide the local authority with an opportunity to do and improve upon a number of different work themes.

A Member was pleased to note from page 39 of the report, that the number of approved BCBC Foster Parents had increased from 104 in March 2012 to 155 in March 2015.

The Team Manager, Fostering Services confirmed that the Council were concentrating upon increasing the number of local Foster Carers, and improving marketing methods to continue to achieve this. She referred Members to page 40 of the report, where it detailed further information on foster caring, as well as giving information regarding the All Wales gross expenditure for fostering services, excluding kinship foster care. This was broken down for 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15, and included details of expenditure and the number of children being looked at during these periods, in terms of local authority foster care and foster care provision from the independent sector.

The Cabinet member Resources asked Officers whether or not the Council had an In-House Complex Care team.

The Team Manager, Fostering Services replied that there was such a team in Children’s Social Services.

A Member advised that would-be foster carers and existing foster carers had shown an interest in the “When I’m Ready Scheme”.

The Team Manager, Fostering Services advised the Committee that this was a relatively new scheme, but that it was receiving some positive interest. She advised however, that additional foster carers would be required in order to support this scheme.

The Cabinet Member Equalities and Children’s Social Services advised that Orders from the Court had to be given to place children in Out of County placements, including for specialist therapy treatments, and this obviously came at a significantly high cost. She asked if there were any initiatives ongoing or being considered, to provide such specialist care packages in-house or more locally.

The Head of Children’s Social Care confirmed, that this was being looked at as part of the Residential Care Re-Modelling Programme work upon which was currently ongoing.

RESOLVED:                That the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting noted the information contained within the Briefing Note and the Phase One report.