Agenda item

11.1     The Chairman welcomed the Resources Group Manager – Social Work, Mr Gareth Stott to the meeting to provide a presentation on the topic of Out of Area Placements.  Mr Stott explained that due to issues with recruitment and retention there had been a net decrease in the number of foster carers in the Scottish Borders.  The trend has also been seen nationally.  That decrease had contributed to pressure on the looked after children sector.  The cost of external placements had also increased, whilst the needs of children, young people and parents were more complex.  A Senior Officer Panel at the Council had been convened to explore alternative options to external placements where appropriate.  A range of actions included building options for managing complex needs, developing community-based family support, and reviewing recruitment of foster carers were being explored. Mr Stott presented the number of cases involved and highlighted that the number of placements in 2023/24 had increased considerably compared to 2019/20.  The associated costs had also increased considerably, ranging from an 75.7% increase in the costs of residential/secure placements to an 81% increase in the costs associated with complex needs. Fostering costs had remained largely stable.   Mr Stott highlighted that a 1% increase in the costs of residential placements required an additional £129,287 of budget resource. 

11.2     As part of the review of external placements, several emerging themes had been identified. The number of children aged under 11 years old being placed in external placements had increased dramatically over the preceding 5 years.  That often had a negative impact on education and familial ties.  Whilst many of the emerging trends were not new, they had become more significant in recent years.  The Senior Officer Panel which had had been convened had also examined the decision-making process for current placements and had not identified any inappropriate placements. Meetings with SBHA for the provision of buildings for complex need provision were ongoing, and work was ongoing to scope options for an additional children’s provision in the Scottish Borders.  That required appropriate education and healthcare provision to be in place.   Other areas of progress included the establishment of a Childrens Health and Disabilities Team and positive joint working arrangements with the Education department.  Mr Stott explained that long-term solutions required multi-agency co-operation including the Council, NHS Borders, Police Scotland and the third sector. Systemic developments were required to improve the overall situation.  Members thanked Mr Stott for his presentation and acknowledged that the solution to resolving the ongoing issues would be complex and multi-faceted. In response to a question regarding the factors behind the difficulty in recruiting foster carers Mr Stott explained that a consistent message was more effective at improving numbers compared to a large campaign.  Regarding the potential for people to move from continuing care to foster care, Mr Stott explained that the legislation and rationale which underpinned continuing care was focused on replicating a healthy family environment. Mr Stott confirmed that there were instances where young people in continuing care moved out of the area for further education or employment but returned for visits and holidays.  In response to a question regarding the evaluation of how well the Council was performing, Mr Stott explained that the Council was good at evaluating outcomes for young people, and that work was ongoing to ensure that its delivery model continually improved. 

            DECISION

            NOTED