Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services

Recommendations:-

1.    That approval be given to the implementation and changes to Foster Carer Fees and allowances as follows:

·         An additional skill level fee to paid to the carer when caring for more than one child, as set out in paragraph 2.11.

·         The weekly allowance, to cover the expense involved in caring for a child, to remain the same.

·         Change in payments to foster carers for birthdays, Christmas/cultural celebrations and holiday pay for the child in placement, as set out in paragraph 2.11.

Consideration was given to the report which detailed the vision in Rotherham of ‘Working with Rotherham’s children, young people and families to be safe, resilient and successful’ and the aim to improve the care experience for children in Rotherham by ensuring that wherever possible they were looked after in a foster family environment.  In the spirit of this ambition the Council was proposing to revise its ‘offer’ to RMBC foster carers with regard to the fees and allowances that they received.  If RMBC foster carer numbers are increased it would also lead to a reduced overall cost in line with budget assumptions.

The needs of children and young people could be most effectively met if they lived in an environment that provided a high quality of care and support.  In most cases this would be within a family setting.  The ambition also includes that wherever possible, children and young people should be placed within their own community which enables them to continue to have some consistency of education placement and contact with the people and community of most importance to them, thus promoting a strong sense of self, fundamental to resilience in later life.

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council had over six hundred children in care and whilst over a quarter were placed with Rotherham Borough foster carers, there was still a shortage of all foster placements, particularly of placements for adolescents and for larger siblings groups. 

The lack of sufficient RMBC foster care placements means that Rotherham relies on the use of Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs) or residential provision, both of which are significantly more costly. 

Comparisons with other authorities within the Yorkshire region have also been carried out and learning from the more successful recruiters had been incorporated into this proposal e.g. Leeds incentivising carers to take additional placements.  The proposals in this report would, therefore, increase the incentive for potential foster carers to become RMBC foster carers and also provide an incentive for foster carers (current and potential) to increase the number of children they fostered. 

In response to the current sufficiency position, this proposal formed part of the work to transform the local authority’s in-house fostering agency ‘offer’.  This included a review of Rotherham’s fostering provision, including a review of the payments to foster carers.  It was anticipated that some existing Rotherham foster households may be able to increase the number of children they cared for and provide an opportunity to increase placements.

In reviewing the fee rate and structure and developing the ‘offer’ it was essential to ensure the fostering service remained financially competitive, whilst supporting the recruitment and retention of more locally based foster carers.

Under the  proposed new fee structure the weekly allowance and the skills payment for the first child remained the same, with an additional payment for subsequent children. 

Cabinet Members welcomed the proposals on the basis that they compared reasonably across the region and provided a good incentive for existing and prospective foster carers in Rotherham.

This report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-scrutiny process who were in support of the recommendations.

Resolved:-  That implementation and changes to Foster Carer Fees and allowances as follows be approved:-

·                An additional skill level fee be paid to the carer when caring for more than one child, as set out in paragraph 2.11.

·                The weekly allowance, to cover the expense involved in caring for a child, to remain the same.

·                Change in payments to foster carers for birthdays, Christmas/cultural celebrations and holiday pay for the child in placement, as set out in paragraph 2.11.