This workshop considered the effectiveness of the Council’s provision of placements for all Looked-After Children (LAC) in its care.

The Head of Access to Resources explained her role is to ensure young people have appropriate placements. This includes ensuring the placement meets the care plan, it is within (or as near as possible to) the local area (unless a more distant placement is required to meet particular needs) and meets ethnicity, language and cultural needs. It was emphasised that LAC in Merton have for many years been cared for beyond the age of eighteen and the department is still supporting a number of older care leavers, the oldest currently being twenty seven.

The team are trying to increase the pool of foster carers.  There are currently sixty sets and sixty eight children have been placed. In response to member questions, it was established that an annual sufficiency statement is produced which outlines an analysis of need and the current provision of placements. At the moment, there is a need for placements for teenagers which could be fulfilled through a children’s home (at the current time, there is no children’s home within the borough and therefore no provision of this form of placement for children in Merton’s care). Provision of foster care is also poorly distributed across the borough with fewer foster carers in the Wimbledon area.

In response to member questions the Assistant Director for Commissioning, Strategy and Performance highlighted:

·         Commissioners are committed to getting the best value from all service provision although in Merton children are never moved or placed in provision for financial reasons;

·         Merton does use different types of foster carers including same sex and single parents, although there is a need to expand the type of people approached and to try new ways of recruiting, (such as recruiting professionals experienced in working with adolescents as foster carers). Generally, the Council is successful at recruiting foster carers but it is a competitive market and there is a need for more foster carers for teenagers and those with complex needs;

·         The Council will not provide its own children’s home but rather is exploring either commissioning a small bespoke home or supporting a provider with whom the Council could negotiate nomination rights.   A business case is currently being prepared to progress the commissioning approach and, in parallel, we are working with a third party organisation which has expressed an interest in providing a service.  The Council is supporting the development of this provision including preparation  for Ofsted registration and service planning; and

·         The department is not complacent about feedback and is mindful that an 80% satisfaction rating in the young people survey of placements means 20% are not happy.  It was highlighted that asking young people their views on their placements is a relatively new approach which Merton is committed to develop further.  As yet there are no national benchmarks with which to make comparisons. It was highlighted by the Head of Access to Resources the cohort is small (only 35 children) and that the underlying reasons for young people’s dissatisfaction will be explored further.

A panel member spoke about her personal experience as a foster carer.  She highlighted foster carers need support in their role and to be given a full understanding of the background of the child to be placed in order to provide adequate care. 

In summary, the following successes were highlighted about Merton’s foster carer provision:

·         The majority of Merton LAC are placed in or close to the borough;

·         The quality of placements is carefully monitored and the department will not use  independent foster carer agencies (or residential providers) if they do not meet our quality expectations; and

·         Merton is relatively successful in recruiting carers and sourcing suitable placements more generally for children in our care.

Those issues that might be a focus for the scrutiny of foster carer provision over the coming year were also highlighted:

·         Increasing recruitment of foster carers for adolescents;

·         Supporting foster carers so they understand the vulnerability and complexity of the children they are looking after;

·         Alternative options for placements for LAC aged 16 plus;

·         Looking in detail at young people’s views on placements  specifically the response of those children that identify as dissatisfied; and

·         Considering the options for a small scale children’s home in Merton.