Issue - meetings

That the programme of innovation aimed at reducing reliance on out of county placements be noted.

The Senior Manager Children and Workforce introduced a report to review the work to reduce reliance on long term residential care for looked after children.  He explained that the report provided an overview of the innovation being driven forward to secure transformational change in delivering the Service’s Support and Placement Strategy.  The work was summarised in the appendix to the report. 

The Senior Manager Children and Workforce advised that without investment in innovation and new approaches to service delivery the number of children requiring residential and Independent Fostering Agency placements would continue to grow at an unsustainable rate with untenable financial consequences.  He drew attention to the work and initiatives, as detailed in the appendix to the report, to effect change.  Referring to the Mockingbird Model of fostering he introduced the Marketing and Recruitment Officer and invited her to give an overview and presentation on the Mockingbird Model.  The main points of the presentation were:

• challenges
• 7 year forecast
• keep children in Local Authority care
• Carer retention
• Out of County placements
• prevention of placement breakdown
• themes from disruption meetings
• savings based on minimum targets
• stabilise future out of county placements

The Senior Manager Children and Workforce explained that the ambition was to develop up to 5 hubs over 3 years supporting 80 children.  An interest free loan of £1.1m had been made available from the Welsh Government for the Scheme which was to be repaid over 7 years. 

Members spoke in support of the Mockingbird model and expressed thanks to the Chief Officer and his team for their work to reduce reliance on out of county placements.   

The recommendations in the report were moved by Councillor Martin White and seconded by Councillor Gladys Healey.

RESOLVED

That the programme of innovation aimed at reducing reliance on out of county placements be noted.