News

Councils need to review their foster care services more thoroughly, or face escalating costs and shortcomings in services, according to a report published by the Social Services Inspectorate, writes Jonathan Pearce.

Based on inspections in seven councils – Derby, Hampshire, Kingston-upon-Thames, Manchester, Poole, Staffordshire and Stockton-on-Tees – between July 2000 and March 2001, the report says the majority of councils had examined their services using the National Foster Care Association’s 1999 national standards, and most had prepared action plans to develop their services.

But the reviews in general were not well-enough informed about children’s needs, were almost exclusively focused on the councils’ directly provided foster care services, and showed a "weak understanding" of the costs of such services.

Given the rise of fostering services in the independent sector – there are now at least 125 agencies – councils need to develop better relationships with other providers, as well as improve service commissioning skills within children’s services departments.

Gerri McAndrew, executive director of The Fostering Network (formerly the NFCA), said the report did not come as a surprise and reflected concerns the organisation had had for some time. "It is about time that the fostering service is given far greater priority if it is to meet the needs of the increasing number of children in foster care," she added.

But Rob Hutchinson, chairperson of the Association of Directors of Social Services’ children and families committee, denied some of the report’s criticisms, pointing to "general underfunding of children’s services nationally" as a major problem. He stressed that most councils knew the costs of their services, but welcomed the focus on fostering as over two-thirds of looked after children are placed in foster homes.