Agenda item

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development on the Board’s Inquiry regarding the issue of external placements.

Further to Minute No. 28 of the meeting held on 8^th September 2011, the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which presented evidence in line with session 2 of the Scrutiny Board’s inquiry into external placements.

The following information was appended to the report:

-  Terms of reference for the inquiry into external placements

-  Children’s Placements Strategy and Sufficiency Action Plan

-  Foster Carer Recruitment and Assessment Strategy

-  Further information and data in relation to external placements which had been requested by the Scrutiny Board.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting, Councillor Hanley, Deputy Executive Member (Children’s Services) and the following officers:

-  Sarah Sinclair, Chief Officer – Strategy, Commissioning and Performance, Children’s Services

-  Saleem Tariq, Assistant Chief Officer, Children’s Services.

A brief introduction was provided on work being undertaken as part of the Children’s Placement Strategy and Sufficiency Action Plan; and the Foster Carer Recruitment and Assessment Strategy.

In brief summary, the key areas of discussion were:

• Improvements in planning for the number and types of placement required.
• Ongoing work in relation to foster carer recruitment.
• Development of internal provision and reducing the reliance on external placements.
• Confirmation of work being undertaken to retain LCC foster carers, development of the service and changes to the pay structure.
• Identifying local solutions and the role of clusters.
• Improvements in performance systems, particularly in terms of analysing the number of referrals on a weekly basis.
• Identifying hotspot areas in clusters.
• Further information requested in relation to boarding arrangements.
• Work being undertaken with the voluntary sector, particularly in relation to preventative approaches.
• Revised programme plan established to measure impact of recent improvements.
• Overcoming cultural barriers in reducing the number of referrals, developing work in localities with schools, clusters and the voluntary sector.
• Utilising the skills and experiences of existing foster carers, particularly in terms of sharing life stories with other individuals interested in becoming foster carers.
• Acknowledgement and support for Children’s Centres.
• Support for individuals with learning disabilities. 

RESOLVED – That the issues raised be incorporated in the draft report of the Scrutiny Board’s inquiry.

(Councillor Khan joined the meeting at 9.55am during the consideration of this item.)

(Councillor A McKenna left the meeting at 11.15am and Councillor Gettings at 11.34am during the consideration of this item.)