Fostering for Coventry Education and Children's Services Scrutiny - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Fostering for Coventry Education and Children's Services Scrutiny Board (2) 22 October 2014

National Picture iMPOWER Consulting/DfE performance benchmark for local authority fostering services in England (2013) found that on average, local authority fostering services in England: • Generate 0.7 enquiries per looked after child needing foster care • Convert 11% of enquiries to approved foster carers • Utilise 69% of their foster carers • Take 9.2 months to process enquiries through to approval • Lose 13% of the workforce each year Coventry has taken part in the survey for 2014 and the benchmark report will be available towards the end of this year. Will help understanding of Coventry’s performance as part of regional and national picture (subject to participating Local Authorities).

National Picture The 2013 survey identified the following for Local Authorities: • Fostering services should compare national averages (from the survey) with their own performance. • Local authorities should conduct a detailed needs assessment. • As part of the needs assessment, fostering services should profile existing foster carers against needs. • Fostering services should review their existing marketing and communications strategies. • Fostering should map out all stages of their recruitment process. • Fostering services should conduct exit interviews. • Fostering services should identify areas of collaboration. In response to this, an Action Plan has been developed for Coventry’s Fostering Service to focus on increasing numbers of internal foster carers. Progress and implementation is overseen by a Fostering Steering Group.

Local Context Family Placement Service Integrated service in August 2012 Established 3 teams • Assessment and Recruitment • Support • Permanence and Family Finding

Local Context Children Looked After At end of August 2014 - 611 children • 158 placed with Coventry Foster Carers • 267 with Independent Fostering Agencies • 79 in Residential Care • 37 placed for Adoption • 70 placed with Parents or Family or Independent living

Local Context Foster carer households • 149 foster carers households – 78 approved for 1 chid – 49 approved for 1 to 2 children – 22 approved for 3 children • 28 Family and Friends Carers • 15 new approvals since April 2014 • 6 carers deregistered/resigned

Local Context Assessment & Recruitment Team April toOct 2014 • Fostering Enquiries 173 – Leading to assessment 25 – Improving conversion rate 14% currently • No of assessments in progress & timescales – 35 Fostering 4 months – 38 Adoption 6 months – Undertake prospective special guardians and private fostering assessments

Survey of Foster Carers • 57 responses (39%) • 21 – would extend their approval category • What would support they would like – An improved the training offer – Better communication support from child’s SW Involve in children’s plans – More robust supervision and Foster Home Reviews – Resolution of the finance issues • Mileage • Discretionary payments • Reduction delays in payments • Allowance in line with fostering network rates • Fostering fee per child

Action in Coventry Improvement Plan to increase numbers of internal foster carers focusing on: • Performance data monitoring and recording processes • Marketing and Communication • Foster Carer involvement (at all stages) • Foster Carer Support offer • Training and Development • Best use of Fostering Service resource • Maximising our placements effectively

Actions in Progress Strengthening Support • Review of foster carer training in progress – Mandatory and Skill development • Keep • Attachment • Support to foster carers – Supervising Social Workers – Mediation service – Theraplay and Safe and secure base

Actions in Progress • Data transfer to Protocol completed – Foster carer register – Enquiries, Assessments and Approvals • Performance dashboard in development • Dedicated team - from enquiries to stage 1 • Piloted group assessments • Recruitment and Development Officer post advertised • Carer involvement – in training and preparation groups – in recruitment activity and information sessions – in recruitment of staff – Promoting independence for care leavers – Staying Put consultation – Standardising discretionary and mileage payments

Actions in Progress Recruitment , Marketing and Communication • Coventry profile raised – Strong branding – All population advertising – Website, Social Media and Digital – Regional Recruitment Networks – Celebrating Betty • To accelerate the pace of improvement – Councillor Ken Taylor as champion – Recruitment and Development Officer – Mosaic analysis – Targeted population marketing using appropriate media – Research and evidenced approach

Coventry Foster Carer Association Launched 2014 • Chair: Neil Wilkinson • Support to build capacity • March 2014 FCA conference • Meets monthly • Peer support developing • Membership growing

Next Steps Refocused Fostering Steering Group Task and Finish Groups • Targeted Recruitment and Marketing • Performance and data management • Carer Involvement • Post Approval Support • Maximise use of placements