Agenda item

5.1       The Head of Looked After Children Services introduced a report on Children’s Services Department’s (CSD) work with IMPOWER consultants. The Committee heard that from May 2023 to January 2024, IMPOWER focused on placement sufficiency, ensuring that the right children were in care, in the right care placements, for the right length of time.

5.2       The Head of Looked After Children Services outlined key areas in the report, including analysis of children’s needs and placement costs within East Sussex; the introduction of the Valuing Care Approach; development of the fostering service; and Enhanced Market Management and Commissioning, including East Sussex County Council’s (ESCC) role in a South East pathfinder project to pilot Regional Commissioning Co-operatives. The report included findings from an initial financial assessment which showed identified achievable savings of £1.7m by the end of 2024/25, and a further £.19m by 2025/26.

5.3       The Committee welcomed the report and noted the initial successes of achieving both financial savings and producing better outcomes for children. The Committee discussed the following:

• Recruitment of foster carers – The Committee discussed methods of recruiting foster carers and emphasised the importance of raising the profile of in house fostering. The Head of Looked After Children’s Services noted that this had been a focus of IMPOWER’s work, including evidence based approaches developed from national data and examples of best practice in other local authorities which had resulted in an increase in quarter 1 of both foster carer applications and foster carers. The Committee sought clarification on the number of foster carer applications and approvals outlined in the report and heard that for quarter 1 in 2024, the Department had received 69 enquiries compared with 47 in the previous year; 20 initial visits compared to 12 the previous year; and eight approvals compared to three the previous year. The Committee welcomed the positive outcomes from work with IMPOWER to recruit more foster carers and commented that higher numbers of internal foster carers would reduce the need for external agencies and reduce council costs. The Lead Member for Children and Families emphasised the financial benefits of recruiting foster carers and noted that he would welcome opportunities for ESCC to work with the Foster Carers Association.
• Training and support for foster carers – The Committee enquired about the application process for foster carers, as well subsequent training and support, and noted a concern about some applicants not feeling supported to continue the process. The Committee also noted the positive feedback they had received about the training and support offered. The Head of Looked After Children Services confirmed that the process to become a foster care should take up to six months and noted that preparatory training included ensuring applicants were aware of the process and the impact and changes fostering would have to their lives, however it would be beneficial to follow up with anyone who felt unable to continue the process. Post approval, foster carers were offered extensive and ongoing training and was considered a strength for ESCC. The Director of CSD noted that the Department would keep reviewing its offer to foster carers.
• Children’s placements – The Committee acknowledged the challenging financial landscape officers were working in to secure suitable children’s placements and sought assurance that when children were moved, their outcomes, as well as financial savings were monitored. The Head of Looked After Children’s Services informed the Committee that children’s outcomes were monitored through a range of processes, including statutory processes. The Director of CSD emphasised that children were only moved when there was evidence that it would improve their outcomes.
• Financial savings – The Committee welcomed the identified savings and sought clarification that these had been included in the Council’s financial planning. The Chief Finance Officer confirmed that these had been included and future planning would continue to consider projected savings. The Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability (ISEND) and the Lead Member for Children and Families noted that IMPOWER had found fewer potential savings in ESCC than in other local authorities which provided reassurance that positive work to reduce costs was already underway.
• Reunification support – The Committee enquired about the support offered to families after reunification. In response the Head of Looked After Children’s Services informed the Committee of the range of ongoing support offered based on a detailed bespoke plan to support the needs of the child and their and families after reunification, including support from social workers and connected coaches that included financial, practical and therapeutic support.

5.4       The Committee RESOLVED to note the report and request a further update in six months time to understand how outcomes were progressing.