Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Children’s Services with the annual fostering update.

The Panel received a report of the Director of Children’s Services providing an overview of fostering activity, detailing statistical performance data and highlighting some focus areas for 2020/2021.

In response to Members’ question it was confirmed that:

·         A legal training workshop organised through the County Council’s Legal Services had taken place to assist social workers in understanding court proceedings and challenges.

·         Independent agency support was provided to all foster carers who are undergoing any complaint investigation. The County Council’s fostering service also makes weekly visits to foster carers who were undergoing this process. Members noted that a number of complaints and allegations were generally received in the context that parents were unhappy with their child being in foster care.

·         In terms of recruiting new foster carers, targeted programmes were in place to seek new and transferred carers with previous care experience.

·         Emotional and wellbeing support was in place for both foster carers and social workers in a variety of ways and that each set of circumstances were managed on an individual basis to ensure that the correct nature of support was always provided.

RESOLVED:

That the Children and Families Advisory Panel notes the report.