Decision details

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval for the proposed Fostering Strategy 2019-22, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, which had been developed in consultation with foster carers and other stakeholders.

The Strategy sought to give effect to the Authority’s duties under Section 22G of the Children Act 1989 which required the Authority to take steps to secure, so far as reasonably practicable, sufficient accommodation within the Authority’s area which met the needs of children that the Local Authority cared for and whose circumstances were such that it would be consistent with their welfare for them to be provided with accommodation that was in the Local Authority’s area (the so-called ‘sufficiency duty’).

Details of the consultation process, findings and implications were set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

The Strategy identified five key changes that the Authority’s Fostering Service

would implement if the Strategy was approved. Under the Strategy the Authority would:

·         In line with the Our North Tyneside Plan to listen, consult more widely and more often - this element of the Strategy related to feedback from foster carers that their voice and experience had not been as central to developments in fostering as possible. The Fostering Strategy detailed a range of actions that would improve consultation and engagement with the Authority’s fostering community. As with the consultation to inform the current improvements these consultation events would be supported by the participation and engagement service.

·         Pay more and pay differently in order to establish transparency in finance and a competitive fostering payment structure to improve recruitment of foster carers - this element of the Strategy related to the need to respond to innovations by other providers in relation to payments to foster carers and the need for payments by the Authority to be competitive.  The Strategy detailed a range of changes to the payments made to foster carers, most significantly linking payments to the skills of carers and training accessed.  It also included uplifts in the amounts of some allowances, achieving parity with the payments made by other providers. These changes represented critical elements of the Authority’s recruitment and retention effort. 

The Fostering Framework, which set out the revised level of payments and the rationale for the introduction of Payments for Skills framework, was attached at Appendix 2 to the report. 

·         Offer more and better support, following the Our North Tyneside Plan to support people to be cared for and protected - this element of the Strategy related to the need for the Authority to be a Fostering Agency of choice for prospective foster carers. It detailed enhancements in the support that was offered to foster carers.

·         Make the fostering role more visible and accessible as part of the corporate parenting responsibility of the whole Authority - this element of the Strategy related to the need for the Authority to be more active in marketing its need for and offer to prospective foster carers. It included the deployment of a dedicated advertising budget. 

·         Offer more training to more skilled carers in order to encourage and enable carers to meet the needs of vulnerable children young people - this element of the Strategy focused on the training offer to foster carers provided by the Authority. It detailed a competitive and compelling offer.

Cabinet considered the following decision options: to accept the recommendations set out in paragraph 1.2 of the report, or alternatively, to not approve the recommendations.

Resolved that approval be given to the Fostering Strategy 2019-22 and its implementation by the Head of Health, Education, Care and Safeguarding, as detailed within the report.

(Reasons for decision:  In order to meet the Foster Care needs of the Borough.)