Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Education & Cultural Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/064

Contact: Lara Patel, Deputy Director – Safeguarding Tel: (01865) 815850

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CA14).

In Oxfordshire, there has been a 90% increase in Looked After Children since 2013.  This has resulted in contributed to an increased number of children being placed out of county in Independent Foster Placements.  Children and young people achieve better outcomes when living closer to their parents, family and friends. It should also be noted that placements out of county in Independent Foster Placements (IFAs) also cost the council significantly more than in-house provision due to the fees payed to agencies. OCC require has therefore developed a refreshed strategy and plan to stem the increased number of out of county placements and to meet the increased demand on services that has been realised over the past 5 years.

Following extensive research from national fora, co-production with foster carers and validation with other 'Good' local authorities, our new strategy and plan has been developed to ensure Oxfordshire County Council become the fostering provider of choice for new and existing foster carers in order to improve outcomes for our Looked After Children.  The plan to do this is detailed under Option 3 (Section 5.3).

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to support the Outlined Strategy and  service improvement plan at Option 3 of the report; and in doing so:

(i)           agree that £1.0m of ongoing funding required for 2020/21 and beyond will be included in the proposed Budget for 2020/21 and Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) as part of the Service & Resource Planning process;

(ii)          agree that the profile of savings in the existing MTFP for 2020/21 and beyond will need to be amended in the proposed Budget for 2020/21 and Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) as part of the Service & Resource Planning process.

Recommendations agreed.

In Oxfordshire, there had been a 90% increase in Looked After Children since 2013.  This had resulted in and contributed to an increased number of children being placed out of county in Independent Foster Placements.  Children and young people achieved better outcomes when living closer to their parents, family and friends. It should also be noted that, placements out of county in Independent Foster Placements (IFAs) also costed the council significantly more than in-house provision due to the fees payed to agencies. OCC had therefore developed a refreshed strategy and plan to stem the increased number of out of county placements and to meet the increased demand on services that has been realised over the past 5 years.

Following extensive research from national fora, co-production with foster carers and validation with other 'Good' local authorities, The Cabinet had before it a report which set out a new strategy and plan which had been developed to ensure Oxfordshire County Council become the fostering provider of choice for new and existing foster carers in order to improve outcomes for our Looked After Children.  The plan to do this was detailed under Option 3 (Section 5.3).

Councillor Gill Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services, supported Option 3. She asked whether it would be possible to ask for a report in 12 months-time looking at the impact on young people and fostering families.

Councillor Harrod in moving the recommendations, welcomed the cross-party agreement on the proposals.

During discussion Cabinet:

·         Commented that there were two strands to the information that needed to be communicated: more publicity about the value of foster carers and that not all foster children were problem children.

·         Noted that Councillor Bartholomew as Cabinet Member for Finance stated that he had paid particular attention to the finance aspects of the proposals. He was content that it was the correct way forward and that the investment was necessary.

RESOLVED:  to support the Outlined Strategy and service improvement plan at Option 3 of the report; and in doing so:

(a)      agree that £1.0m of ongoing funding required for 2020/21 and beyond will be included in the proposed Budget for 2020/21 and Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) as part of the Service & Resource Planning process;

(b)      agree that the profile of savings in the existing MTFP for 2020/21 and beyond will need to be amended in the proposed Budget for 2020/21 and Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) as part of the Service & Resource Planning process.