The Corporate Parenting Board of Worcestershire Council met on 19 November 2025 to discuss a fostering transformation plan and a children's celebration event, and to review their work plan. Councillor Justin Bowen, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Children and Families, was scheduled to chair the meeting. The board was also expected to confirm the minutes of their previous meeting.

Fostering Transformation Plan

The Corporate Parenting Board was scheduled to discuss a new approach to fostering in Worcestershire. According to the Worcestershire Fostering: A New Approach briefing presentation, national and local pressures on fostering services are intensifying due to:

• Rising demand for kinship care¹
• Recruitment and retention challenges
• Financial pressures
• Quality and consistency

The proposed structure looks to strengthen recruitment, assessment, and support functions for both mainstream fostering and kinship care. The restructure aims to provide a balanced, sustainable workforce model that:

• Expands capacity to support additional mainstream and kinship households.
• Improves recruitment and retention by offering consistent support.
• Ensures compliance with forthcoming statutory duties in relation to kinship care.
• Reduces reliance on high-cost external placements.
• Builds resilience within teams by aligning staff numbers and skillsets with demand.

The briefing presentation outlined the proposed structure and benefits of the new approach, including the creation of a new Mainstream Fostering Recruitment, Retention & Assessment Team, and the expansion of the Kinship Assessment Team.

The presentation also highlighted several changes to the foster care offer, including:

• Introducing a fostering no-detriment policy, ensuring kinship and connected carers are not financially disadvantaged when stepping up to care via a Special Guardianship Order².
• Uplifting fostering fees across all levels.
• Launching the Bring Our Children Home campaign, a targeted recruitment drive to attract more carers and reduce reliance on high-cost external placements.
• Reviewing the Children's Savings Policy.
• Accelerating progression through the Payment for Skills Levels.

According to the presentation, Councillor Justin Bowen said:

Everything works together, and it all flows from this initial investment. The reality is we can't afford not to make these changes.

A Worcestershire Fostering Children and Young People Leaflet was also included in the report pack.

Work Plan

The Corporate Parenting Board was scheduled to note its future work programme and consider whether there were any matters it would wish to be incorporated.

The work plan included the following items for future meetings:

• 27 January 2026: Health assessments and the impact of the 10-year plan, NEET task and finish group, and a presentation on the Anchor Service.
• 7 May 2026: CPB Annual Report, Inspection of local authority children's services (ILACS) – An update on improvements which were being made around life stories and transitions in particular Housing, and feedback on Time-out cards.
• 8 July 2026: Annual IRO Report, SEND and actions being taken to stop young people becoming looked after.
• 6 October 2026: Contact Points.

Other Business

The agenda included an item for any other business.

Previous Minutes

The board was scheduled to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 7 October 2025. During that meeting, the board:

• Appointed Councillor Natalie McVey, Chair of the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel, as Vice-Chair.
• Discussed the Care Leavers Annual Report, during which Miki raised issues that young people were experiencing with the use of Wi-fi boxes. James MacDonald, Group Manager, Care Leavers/Homeless Intervention/Outreach & Participation, said he would look into these issues and provide clearer advice through the local offer.
• Discussed the Youth Voice Annual Report, during which Celena Rossano thanked Miki for her efforts in putting the Youth Voice work plan together.
• Received feedback on the use of Time-out cards.
• Received feedback on district leisure offers. Councillor Natalie McVey provided an update on the leisure offer in Malvern.