Harrow Council has approved its continued membership of the Foster with West London Regional Fostering Hub, a move aimed at improving the recruitment of foster carers. The council also delegated decision-making authority for the hub to the Strategic Director of Children's Services.

Regional Fostering Hub, Foster with West London

Harrow Council will continue its membership in the Foster with West London Regional Fostering Hub, a collaboration with seven other London boroughs: Ealing, Brent, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham. This decision supports the Department for Education's (DfE) programme, Renewing Fostering: Homes for 10,000 More Children, which aims to address a decline in the number of foster carers.

The Foster with West London hub facilitates a regional approach to recruiting and supporting prospective foster carers. By pooling resources, the participating boroughs aim to increase the number of approved foster carers, enabling more children to be placed locally. This initiative is expected to improve outcomes for children in care by ensuring they receive family-based care, which is considered the most suitable option for meeting their needs. The hub also supports the Mockingbird model, which provides foster households with peer support, mirroring an extended family structure.

The report presented to the council highlighted that the hub has already shown positive results, with a 37% increase in approved foster carers across the region since its launch in May 2024, exceeding the DfE's programme target. The DfE is providing funding for the programme, with initial grants for two years, after which the hub is intended to become self-financing. However, from 2027/28, Harrow Council, along with other partner authorities, will need to contribute approximately £230,000 to £240,000 per year to maintain the service. The council's contribution for the 2026/27 financial year is expected to be between £60,000 and £70,000, supported by DfE grants and previous underspends.

The decision to continue membership was made to align with national reforms and to ensure Harrow Council can influence the regional programme's design, rather than having a model imposed. The report noted that exiting the programme would mean diverging from government reforms and potentially losing access to future funding, which is likely to be conditional on a regional model.

Councillor Paul Osborn, Leader of the Council, approved the recommendations. The first recommendation was to approve Harrow Council's continued membership in the Foster with West London Regional Fostering Hub. The second recommendation was to delegate authority to the Strategic Director of Children's Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children's Services, to make decisions regarding the hub to ensure timely progress and delivery.

The report also indicated that the expanded remit of the hub and the DfE funding require formal approval by the first week of June 2026. The decision to continue membership is expected to have implications for the Fostering Service workforce, potentially necessitating a restructuring to accommodate the increased funding requirements from 2027/28. The council's commitment to this regional approach aligns with its priority to be A place where those in need are supported.

The meeting also noted that there were no declarations of interest, petitions, or public questions. The meeting was held on Tuesday 26 May 2026 and closed shortly after.