Issue - meetings

Report DCYP12008

The Committee considered proposed revisions to the local policy for Foster Carers’ Allowances as part of the Local Authority’s consultation process. 

The Chairman commended the clarity and simplicity of the proposed new allowances.  A Co-opted Member highlighted the importance of taking the consultation responses of foster parents of children with complex needs into account.  It was vital to ensure that foster carer allowances be set at an appropriate level to attract people to become foster parents of children with complex needs, supporting children and young people with complex needs to remain in a family environment and reducing the costs of out of borough provision.  The Director CYP confirmed that all responses to the consultation would be carefully considered.

A Member queried whether it would be useful to approach existing and potential foster carers to ask them what support they would need to move from mainstream fostering to fostering a child with complex needs.  By identifying the barriers foster carers face it was possible that an invest to save bid could be developed to increase the number of foster parents of children with complex needs.

RESOLVED that Members comments on the proposed local policy for Foster Carers’ Allowances as part of the Local Authority’s consultation process be noted.

Report DCYP11123

On the 11 October 2011, Members of the Executive Working Party:  Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting considered a report outlining an Officer review of foster carer allowances which identified a number of issues and options in relation to current and future payments to foster carers in the Borough.  In considering the report, Members asked for further detailed work to be undertaken on two of the options, and the revised report on Foster Carer Allowances was presented to the Members of the Executive Working Party on the 14 November 2011.

Given the timescale required for effective consultation with all key stakeholders, a special meeting of the Children and Young People Portfolio Holder was convened to consider this report, and the release of the proposals for consultation.

In considering the report, the Portfolio Holder commented that the proposals had received full scrutiny at the meeting of the Executive Working Party for Child Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting and Members of the Working Party had supported the proposals outlined in the report.

The Director CYP reported comments from Mr Brian James, the Looked After Children Representative on the Children and Young People PDS Committee, which had been received by email:

“Apologies that I can't be there today however I would offer my support to both items.  In relation to Item 4 - it is positive to read 5.15, 5.18 and 5.21 -5.31- my only points are: 5.18 - 2nd sentence - the word 'not' seems out of place? My second point is with ref to paragraphs 5.26-5.31 - re. DLA - I feel that this is a slight distraction from the need to recognise the shortfall of foster carers for complex children - the DLA is a payment that the child would get anywhere it doesn't enhance the allowance recognising the increased attention required.” 

Officers clarified that the second line of paragraph 5.18 needed to be amended to read “…the enhanced fee does no more than maintain the status quo of their current payments.”

Councillor Robert Evans expressed some concerns that the enhanced fee would not address the issue of additional remuneration for foster carers of disabled children.  In response, the Portfolio Holder reported that the Child Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting Working Group had requested that the proposals be released for consultation to enable those foster carers affected to comment and respond to the proposals.

RESOLVED that the recommended option for the policy and payment strategy – Option 2 – be endorsed and that formal consultation with London Borough of Bromley foster carers be progressed over a period of six weeks.