Agenda item

The Sufficiency Strategy is attached and to consider PowerPoint presentation.

Note – the Chair will allow 30 minutes for this agenda item.

The Committee received a presentation on the Sufficiency Strategy for children looked after and care leavers (2023-28) - outlined the Sufficiency Strategy for Somerset, the vision, priorities, challenges and the programme to improve outcomes and sufficiency / actions to be taken.

Agreed that will provide foster carers data to the Committee.

The Vice Chair thanked officers for the presentation and the Committee noted the update.

The Committee received a presentation from Richard Selwyn, the Council’s Service Director Children’s Commissiong and Julie Breeze, Commissioner – Children in Care on the Sufficiency Strategy for children looked after and care leavers (2023-28) who provided an outline of the Sufficiency Strategy for Somerset, the vision, priorities, Somerset challenges and the programme to improve outcomes and sufficiency / actions to be taken.

Ms Breeze explained the sufficiency means ensuring there are enough high quality homes for our children in care and care leavers. The vision is to:

·      Better support children at risk of coming into care, before they come into care.

·      Increase the number of homes for children, especially foster care.

·      Design our in-house fostering, residential care and supported accommodation so we support the most complex needs.

·      Improve choice and match homes to children, significantly reducing out of county places.

·      Reduce costs so we are within budget.

The Committee asked a number of questions and made a number of comments which were responded to at the meeting, as follows:

·      Asked about the processes for recruiting foster carers – this is done creatively, to help show that this is something people can do; there is a financial element but it is about focussing on and being clear about what the offer is and the level of support / training on offer.

·      Query about the ‘new generation of carers’ point and what means – advised that in the pandemic a number of younger carers had come forward but had returned to other work and stopped caring when the pandemic ended – have reviewed fees and allowances, for example.

·      Would encourage everyone to look into fostering; have found it a rewarding experience and age is not a barrier; you are part of a team and are supported.

·      Supported housing provision for the rising 16 – 24 year olds is a huge issue – recognise this is an issue and do work closely with housing colleagues and long term strategy and are exploring a rent guarantor scheme for our children in care and care leavers.

·      Helpful to see information (movement) on numbers of foster carers – officers are happy to provide this information.

·      Question about therapeutic education provision, part of Homes and Horizons project (providing homes for the most complex children in care) – explained the complex funding mechanisms and the ongoing conversations with the DfE around the model which has to be signed-off at Ministerial level; expect this to happen soon. It is hoped that the therapeutic education provision at Misterton will be opened in April and the Head Teacher has been in place since September and staff are working with the young people already who need that support. Officers also updated on progress on Homes and Horizons, which is providing homes for the most complex children in care and is successful and a genuine partnership; are planning for homes 7 and 8 and putting finance in place for further homes.

·      Query on Somerset challenges (slide 6) and the ‘increase in unregistered / illegal placements’ and what this means; - clarified that ‘illegal’ means an unregistered placement; explained the process / safeguards if do have to use an unregistered setting (due to, for example, there being no other provider able or willing to take the young person).

·      Query about comment on rising number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children (USAC) (slide 6) – explained this is being managed well and are working hard with providers on this.

·      Question on ‘shape and manage the market’ (slide 7)  - looking at how engage the market and referenced the dynamic purchasing system which will help and QA check any new provider.

·      Query and concern about inflation negotiations (referenced on slide 7) and commissioning arrangements (slide 8) – referenced the contractual framework and discussions with providers; if a provider is not on contractual framework, it is a laborious process / discussion; the market is very difficult at the moment; always trying to engage on national level too.

The Vice Chair briefly summarised the discussions at the meeting – recognise the need to find the right quality home for children and young people; one of the key areas is around preventing children & young people from coming into care in first instance; foster care recruitment, which is a national as well as a Somerset challenge; highlighted the increase in the number of children with complex needs; housing issues and work with providers; fostering data to provided.

The Vice Chair thanked officers for the presentation and the Committee noted the update.