Purpose

See attached ODR for further details

Content

The landscape for recruiting foster carers, to
care for children and young people with complex needs is very
challenging
Currently:
? We do not have enough in-house foster carers with the skills
required to care for these
children and young people
? We do not have enough shared care options
? We do not have enough support in place to wrap around specialist
foster carers

These challenges mean that this cohort of children often end up in
expensive out of authority placements, we propose to offer
specialist foster carers an enhanced allowance of
£50’000p.a
to care for these children in their homes, this payment would be
guaranteed whether a child is placed or not to allow the foster
carer the financial security to care full-time. In addition we
will
also offer intensive fast-track residential training, direct-access
to a new therapy team and respite provision offering carers a break
every four weeks.

To test this concept with minimal risk the scheme would initially
be piloted with four foster carers to care for three children (the
fourth carer will offer the respite care to the other three on
rotation)
The intention is to identify and recruit experienced foster carers
who have children who areabout to move out, the efficacy would be
reviewed after three months.

Alternative options considered

See attached ODR for further details