Agenda item

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Neighbourhood Working, the Assistant Director - Children’s Social Care, the Service Manager - Commissioning Performance and Quality and the Head of Development Programmes – Children’s Services attended the meeting to present a report that provided a progress report on the delivery of the Looked After Children (LAC) Sufficiency Strategy 2019-2022 and also on impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on its delivery.

The report provided information on the delivery of key elements of the strategy, as well as detailing any current, or predicted future impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on its delivery including:

In-House Foster Carers

The report noted that Rotherham’s new fostering recruitment website and customer relationship management system had been launched at the end of September 2019 and stated that it continued to generate interest in the Rotherham fostering offer. It was noted that since the recruitment website had been launched, 314 people had booked an initial information visit, and that while there had been some early fluctuations in interest it was noted that interest had remained steady during the pandemic.

It was noted that the pandemic had created some delay in the progression of assessments through March, April and May due to potential foster carers wanting to avoid physical meetings. The Service Manager - Commissioning Performance and Quality advised that this had been addressed by facilitating an offer of blended assessments that combined virtual and minimal direct physical contact sessions to ensure that assessments were able to progress. It was also noted that a virtual Skills to Foster training programme had commenced via Microsoft Teams for four prospective fostering households and that the Fostering Panel had continued to meet virtually. It was noted that it was predicted that performance on increasing the number of in-house foster carers was positive and that the numbers of new foster carers approved in 2020/21 would exceed performance for 2019/20 with a cohort of foster carers continuing to grow in terms of quality and availability.

IFA placements

It was noted that the White Rose Framework has provided positive support whilst managing Covid-19 by challenging providers who had approached individual local authorities to request an increase in fees.  The Service Manager advised that whilst there had been very little impact on the fostering sector at the beginning of the pandemic, an increase in disruptions in foster placements for young people with challenging behaviours was now being reported. The Service Manager advised that there was concern that some foster carers were just holding onto until restrictions eased and that in the future a number of placements could break down which could lead to an increase in demand for looked after placements in the coming months.

In-borough Residential Provision

The report stated the strategy had led to an increase in local capacity of 16 places in the previous 18 months for placements that allowed children to retain local links and that were also less expensive than out of area private provision. The Service Manager advised that the impact of the pandemic had not negatively impacted on planned activities to source additional places.

In-house Residential Provision.

Activity to develop an in-house residential provision run by the Council had progressed as planned during the pandemic. it was noted that the recruitment and subsequent induction processes for the residential team had been delivered virtually, and, where face to face interactions had been required that this has been managed in line with social distancing guidance.

16+ Framework

The Head of Development Programmes – Children’s Services noted that Rotherham’s Flexible Purchasing System (FPS) for 16+ support and accommodation was now in its final stages and advised that the implications of the pandemic had not impacted on the original timescales planned for the procurement process.

Emergency Placements

It was noted that since restrictions related to the pandemic had been imposed in March 2020 that there have been between three and eight children placed in emergency provision at one any time. The Head of Development Programmes advised that the pandemic made it more difficult to identify long-term placements for some children who had been placed in emergency placements as quickly as was usually the case. 

Members noted with concern that an increase in disruptions in foster placements for young people with challenging behaviours were now being reported and that this risked that these placements would break down once restrictions on daily life were eased further. Members asked what support was being offered to prevent placements breaking down. The Assistant Director - Children’s Social Care advised that support using a variety of methods had and continued to be offered to families throughout the pandemic in order to prevent placement breakdown. The Assistant Director noted that foster families, like all families would have experienced similar difficulties and pressures throughout the pandemic and that while the summer holidays would offer some respite from these pressures the holidays would also provide new challenges for families.

Members asked for further information on the success that the service had had in preventing placements breaking down. The Assistant Director advised that the layered support offer that had included individual and group support networks for foster carers had been effective in preventing breakdown and noted that foster carers really valued the mutual support networks that were available to them. It was also noted that with appropriate safety measures in place that some face to face support had been provided by fostering social workers. The Chair welcomed the high levels of support that had been provided despite the challenges of the pandemic and the stability that this had provided families and children.

The Chair asked what the risks of further disruption and potential placement breakdown were moving forwards. The Assistant Director advised that while restrictions on daily life had eased substantially in recent weeks that life for all families was still far from normal, and that this summer would be very different creating further pressures and anxieties for families. The Assistant Director noted that further clarity regarding exactly how schools would return was needed in order to fully assess the support that would be needed for foster families. The Assistant Director also advised that the reintroduction of face to face contact for looked after children with their birth families could increase pressure on placements due to the emotions that these meetings would release.

The Assistant Director noted that as looked after children would be experiencing the same stresses and anxieties as other children due to the pandemic and as such assured members that appropriate support would continue to be offered.

Members asked for further information how the service was working in partnership with Adult Care and Housing to ensure that sufficiency was achieved for vulnerable 16- and 17-year olds. The Assistant Director noted that this area of support that was provided in partnership with Adult Care and Housing was the House Project that provided intensive support to 16- and 17-year olds. The Assistant Director advised that work was focused to ensure that young people who had been due to access the service did not miss out due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Members asked how this support differed to the support that was offered by the 16+ Framework. The Assistant Director advised that both programmes supported the same cohort of young people but that each project had a slightly different focus with the House Project providing the skills for young people to eventually obtain and sustain a tenancy of their own  while the 16+ Framework was an alternative pathway that offered different types of support.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Neighbourhood Working advised that at a recent meeting of the House Project in Rotherham and the national House Project, that the project in Rotherham had been recognised as providing an effective and high level service to the young people that accessed the scheme.

The Chair thanked the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Neighbourhood Working, the Assistant Director - Children’s Social Care, the Service Manager - Commissioning Performance and Quality and the Head of Development Programmes – Children’s Services for attending the meeting and answering the committee’s questions.

Resolved: -

1)    That the progress made in delivery of the LAC Sufficiency Strategy be noted.

2)    That the risk that demand for placements will increase as lockdown eases be noted, and, that in addition to members of the Improving Lives Select Commission monitoring performance in this area using the established performance monitoring procedures, that managers proactively raise any concerns that they have with the Improving Lives Select Commission if they arise. 

3)    That a summary of the meeting with the National House Project be circulated to members of the Improving Lives Select Commission.