Get documents about "Placement strategy for looked after children
Document Sample
BLACKPOOL COUNCIL
CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE’S DEPARTMENT
TARGETED SERVICES
PLACEMENT STRATEGY FOR
LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN
2006-2009
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction 3
Basic Principles 4
Expected Outcomes 5
1. Planning for Change
1.1 Recommendations 6/7
2. Assessing Demand
2.1 Key Statistics 9
2.2 Key Points Assessing Demand 10
3. Planning and Delivering – Fostering Service
3.1 Assessing Demand 11
3.2 Foster Care Placements for the under 5’s 11
3.3 Foster Care Placements for the under 5 to 9 year olds 11
3.4 Foster Care Placements for the over 9’s 11
3.5 LAC on a date in Foster Placements, aged 10+ 11
3.6 Agency Foster Placements 12
3.7 Children placed with Agency Foster Carers during year, by age 12
3.8 Foster Parents offering preparation for independence 12
3.9 Remand Placements 14
3.10 Key Outcomes 15
4. Planning and Delivering – Adoption Service
4.1 Assessing Demand 18
4.2 Children becoming placed for Adoption during year 18
4.3 Analysis of Resource 18
4.4 Proposed Outcomes 19
4.5 Key Outcomes 19
5. Planning and Delivering – Residential Child Care
Adolescent Children’s Homes
5.1 In House Provision Analysis of Resource 20
5.2 Assessing Demand 20
5.3 Key Outcomes 23
6. Assessing Demand – Children with Additional Needs
6.1 Numbers of Children with Additional Needs (CWAN),
accommodated as Looked After Children 24
6.2 Foster Care 24
6.3 Numbers of CWD receiving Short Break Care Services 24
6.4 Family Link Scheme 24
6.5 Analysis of Resource 25
6.6 Key Outcomes 26
Appendix A
Out of Borough Residential Placements at 30/6/06 27
Appendix B
Foster Carers Accreditation Scheme 28-30
-2-
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
Placement Strategy for Looked After Children
Introduction
Past and present analysis of activity and need within Blackpool tells us that for the
foreseeable future Blackpool will continue to have a high percentage of children who will
be looked after by the Council.
We take our corporate parenting responsibilities as seriously as our requirement to be
efficient and effective in managing the financial resources.
This document addresses the need to understand the complex needs of some of the
towns children and identifies the developments needed to ensure, as far as we possibly
can, that the placements provided will nurture those children and provide a base for a
happy, safe and successful childhood. The recommendations are based on the need to
do this within the budget, except recommendation 7 which will require capital and
bridging funding if agreed.
Our main aim as ever is to support families to care for their own children. We know this
is what the majority want and will achieve the best for most children. Our community
support services continue to develop services to reduce the need for statutory
intervention.
For those children who will only thrive if we intervene this document sets out the
placements needed and the changes required to achieve them.
David Lund & Ivan Taylor
-3-
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
Basic Principles underpinning Blackpool’s service to Looked After Children
The presumption is that family based care is the preferred option for the overwhelming
majority of children. Statutory intervention will only be considered when attempts to
support families are not succeeding in helping families discharge their parental
responsibilities to an acceptable level.
Initial and core assessments of children in need will recommend if family support
services are required to assist the child and family. In exceptional circumstances, the
assessment of a child or young person will determine that he/she needs to be looked
after. The decision to commence a period of being looked after must be agreed by the
Service Manager. All efforts will be made to ensure that an alternative placement within
the child’s extended family or kinship network is found. Generally this will be achieved
through a private agreement between the parent and family/ friend. Occasionally this
requires the approval of the family member or friend as a foster carer. If these avenues
have been explored unsuccessfully, a foster family will be sought from the Family
Placement Team.
The level of transience within the town plays a key role. On occasions families arrive in
Blackpool with current child protection issues and statutory intervention planned in their
last place of residence. In some of these cases it may not be in the child’s best interests
to remain with parents and reception into Local Authority accommodation may be
necessary. The community support developments ought to support a speedy return to
parents in many instances.
A child aged under 12 years can only be placed in a residential setting with the
permission of the Assistant Director or in their absence the Director.
In all cases placement within the towns geographical boundary will be sought unless the
care plan agreed by the Service manager details clear reasons why this is not in the
child’s interests.
Any plan to place a child outside the 20-mile parameter, except in an adoption
placement; of the town’s geographical boundary to be agreed by the Service Manager.
A placement 40 miles outside the town’s parameters - except in an adoption placement,
to be agreed by the Assistant Director.
This strategy uses predictive figures, which are dependant on a number of variables.
One of the key issues is the success of the preventative strategy in maintaining children
at home within their families.
-4-
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
Expected Outcomes
A successful placement strategy ensures that there is an adequate supply of placements
for children and young people across the range of resources. This would result in the
following outcomes:
• the majority of children and young people looked after are placed with foster
carers in or around Blackpool
• young people for whom foster care is not appropriate or who are unable to be
placed in foster care are looked after in good quality children’s homes within the
town
• children and young people who are not able to return to their families
(rehabilitation) are able to live in permanent substitute families. For younger
children through adoption and for older children with permanent foster carers
• resources for placements of children looked after are efficiently deployed to
ensure that placements outside Blackpool in foster care or residential care are
only made when every stage of local provision and placement has been explored
and exhausted
• placements in the Blackpool children’s homes are reserved for the placement of
young people with the most pressing need for a residential placement
This strategy will endeavour to ensure that children and young people who are currently
placed outside Blackpool are enabled to return to a Blackpool based placement (where
appropriate) and that the need to place children and young people outside Blackpool in
the future is minimised. Locality of service and the availability of foster carers for
teenagers with difficult behaviour and severely disabled children will enhance the
capacity of other local partners (schools, Educational Services, Child and Adolescent
Mental Health Services and the Health sector) to support the plan in a corporate
parenting model.
In keeping with the national guidance, the headings of this strategy document will cover:
1. Planning for change recommendations
2. Assessing demand
3. Planning and delivering good quality fostering services
4. Planning and delivering good quality adoption services
5. Planning and delivering good quality residential care
6. Planning and delivering good quality care for children with additional needs
-5-
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
1. Planning for Change
1.1 Recommendations
Over the next three years 2006/2009 the following are achieved:
1. Mainstream foster carers increase on current base of 94 families to 100
2. Only child carers recruit 8
3. Carers supporting adolescents from current base of 24 to 39 providing an
additional 30 placements
4. Remand foster carers recruit 3 by July 2007
5. Increase the number of family link carers from 9 to 17
6. Increase family link service by two staff to support the extension to family link
(funded from reduction of staffing required in Westbury Lodge)
Note
The recommendations above, once completed, will provide for the majority of
Looked After Children to be accommodated “in-house”. A small number of
challenging adolescent (predominantly male), children who require
accommodation with education on site will still require out borough
placements.
At the present time the market forces, amount of private provision within and
close to Blackpool, results in our purchasing these placements at a
reasonable cost. If this situation continues it is not recommended that
Blackpool Council develop the provision detailed in recommendation 7 at this
time. Should the market position change; the Council may wish to reconsider
this option.
7. The possible provision of a small unit with education provision to reduce
reliance on out borough placements further. If agreed outline costs to be
considered by Council in budget planning for 2007/08.
Recommendations 1 to 6 to be financed as follows:
In order to achieve the expansion to the placement provision within the fostering service
the aim would be to recruit and approve the following carers over a 3 year period. The
following outlines the budget implications in Year 1, 2 and 3 and how this budget could
be achieved.
-6-
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
The average cost of an Out of Borough placement per annum is £98,605.
Year 1
4 Placements at Level 3 for 0 – 10 yrs £36,312
14 Placements at Level 4 for 11 – 15 years £186,583
3 Placements for single occupancy at Level 5 £52,523
1 Remand Placement £19,468
Total 22 £294,886
By reducing the Out of Borough placements by 3 young people in
Year 1, who could hopefully be placed appropriately within either
a Level 4 or Level 5 placement above, this would provide an
additional 19 placements and produce a net saving on the Out of
Borough Budget of: £295,815
Year 2
5 Placements at Level 3 for 0 – 10 yrs £45,923
10 Placements at Level 4 for 11 – 15 years £133,270
3 Placements for single occupancy at Level 5 £52,523
1 Remand Placement £19,468
Total 19 £251,184
Again in Year 2 a further reduction of 3 placements from the Out
Of Borough Budget would provide an additional 16 placements
and a net saving of, which is more than sufficient budget to cover
the strategy for the 2nd Year. £295,815
Year 3
3 Placements at Level 3 for 0 – 10 yrs £27,411
6 Placements at Level 4 for 11 – 15 years £79,964
2 Placements for single occupancy at Level 5 £35,015
1 Remand Placement £19,468
Total 12 £161,858
In order to fund Year 3’s strategy a reduction of 2 placements
from the Out of Borough Budget would be necessary. This would
provide an additional 10 placements and a net saving on Out of
Borough of: £197,210
-7-
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
By reducing the budgetary equivalent of 8 placements over a 3 year period from the Out
of Borough provision, an additional 45 family placements would be created within the
local area. The overall aim would be, where appropriate, to bring back more young
people from the Out of Borough placements into these new resources over the same
period and therefore further reduce the pressure on this budget, but more importantly
achieve family placements as opposed to residential placements for more of our young
people.
-8-
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
2. Assessing Demand
A key to managing placement choice effectively is assessing demand. This involves a
thorough understanding of the local context, of the existing population of looked after
children and their carers.
2.1 Key Statistics:
Current population of under 18’s in Blackpool is 30,153 (mid-2004 estimate). Of these,
there are 1033 ‘current cases’ open to Children’s Social care (Feb 2005), 147 children
on the Child Protection register (March 2006), and 290 children looked after by the
authority (March 2006).
The number of children looked after by Blackpool has risen since 2002; the rate per
10,000 population is above the North West and England average as illustrated below.
120
Children looked after per 10000 population aged under 18
100
98 96
95
91 92
88
80
81
Blackpool
60 65 67 North West
62 62 64
61 England
54 55 55 55
52 53
40
20
0
1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06
The above graph does not fully demonstrate the fluctuation in numbers of looked after
children over periods of time. The following table shows numbers that have become, and
ceased to be, looked after during 6-month periods for the past 3 years. It then uses the
latest figures to predict how many children will stop/start being looked after in the next
three years. From Dec 05 – May 06, the decrease in total number of LAC seen in recent
months, is not due to more children leaving the care system, but instead due to less
children becoming looked after as a result of increased impact of various family support
services becoming established within the town. If the rate of children leaving care stays
static, and there continues to be a reduced number of children entering the system, then
the number of children looked after at the end of May 2009 would be around 207 (69 per
10,000 population under 18). This prediction relies on the assumption that the reduction
in numbers becoming looked after is sustainable long-term. This would bring the rate
closer to the North West Average (67 per 10,000 population).
-9-
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
Numbers ceasing and beginning to be LAC over past 3 years, with prediction
PERIOD Ceased Ceased (as % Started Started (as % Number of
in of number at in of number at LAC at end
period end of period end of of period
previous previous
period) period)
June 03 – Nov 03 58 24% 88 36% 274
Dec 03 – May 04 80 29% 70 26% 264
June 04 – Nov 04 81 31% 87 33% 270
Dec 04 – May 05 79 29% 100 37% 291
June 05 – Nov 05 72 25% 90 31% 310
Dec 05 – May 06 76 25% 49 16% 282
June 06 – Nov 06 73 26% 50 18% 259
Dec 06 – May 07 67 26% 50 19% 241
June 07 – Nov 07 63 26% 50 21% 229
Dec 07 – May 08 59 26% 50 22% 219
June 08 – Nov 08 57 26% 50 23% 212
Dec 08 – May 09 55 26% 50 24% 207
Just over half of all children looked after by Blackpool are aged 10 or over, nationally
62% of children looked after are aged 10 or over. Blackpool has a much larger
proportion of children aged 1 to 4 who are looked after (Blackpool, March 2006, 24%,
England, March 2005, 14%).
The majority of Blackpool’s looked after population are the subject of full or interim care
orders, 29% are voluntary accommodated (England 30%). Blackpool has a larger
percentage of children freed for adoption than seen nationally, which ties in with the
larger proportion of very young children looked after subject to statutory intervention.
2.2 Key Points Assessing Demand
The various family support initiatives are having an impact in enabling us to keep
children out of statutory care.
Family support for parents with teenagers requires more development.
The town’s levels of deprivation and transience results in a high proportion of
children whose safety is dependent on removal from parents.
Blackpool’s foster carers expansion is required for all age groups, particularly
teenagers and children with additional needs with link carers.
- 10 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
3. Planning and Delivering – Fostering Services
3.1 Assessing Demand
3.2 Foster Care Placements for the under 5’s
In the last 3 years Blackpool has accommodated an average of 68 children per year in
this age group (0 – 4), with on average 61 children being accommodated by Blackpool’s
‘In-house’ fostering service. The remaining children that became looked after during
these years were either placed at home, with agency foster carers, or in hospital.
Latest data (27/6/06) shows 62 of the 82 Children looked after between 0 and 4 years
old are in ‘In-house’ foster placements (75.6%). For the past 3 years this percentage has
been consistently above 70% of all LAC in the age group. This information would
suggest that an additional 4 foster families to provide 3 placements is needed.
3.3 Foster Care Placements for 9 year olds and under
There is currently a similar rate of children looked after between 5 and 9 years old in ‘In-
house’ foster placements (72.2% - 39 out of 54). For the past 3 years this percentage
has also been consistently above 70% of all LAC in the age group. The above
information indicates a small increase of 2 carers providing an additional 4 placements to
support the Looked After Children aged 9 and under is necessary. This modest growth
would support best practice.
3.4 Foster Care Placements for the over 9’s
Children looked after aged 10 years + tend to have a lower proportion in ‘In-house’ foster
placements. Up to date figures suggest just 55.5% (81 of 146) of LAC aged 10+ are in
‘In-house’ foster placements, in line with the past 3 years, which show the percentage
has been consistently around 50%.
3.5 LAC on a date in foster placements, aged 10+
31/05/2003 31/05/2004 31/05/2005 31/05/2006 27/06/2006
LAC aged 10+, in 'in-house' foster placements 69 66 73 81 81
LAC aged 10+, in 'agency' foster placements 4 1 4 6 7
Total LAC population aged 10+ 121 135 144 144 146
% of LAC in 'In-house' foster placements 57.0% 48.9% 50.7% 56.3% 55.5%
% of LAC in 'agency' foster placements 3.3% 0.7% 2.8% 4.2% 4.8%
In August 2006 there were 107 foster families.
83 foster families are approved to care for children between the ages of 0 – 10 years.
There were 121 children of this age group placed in these foster families.
24 foster families are approved to care for children between the ages of 11 – 18 years.
There were 79 children and young people placed with those foster families.
The 107 foster families include those children placed with family and friends carers.
- 11 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
3.6 Agency Foster Placements
The number of children placed with agency foster carers has increased year on year.
Some children require to be placed as an only child within the family. At present we can
seldom provide this in house. There are 5 children who need this service (August 2006)
which we have purchased from an agency.
Difficulties and risks associated with lack of this provision includes:
Continued reliance on high cost out of borough agency placements
Children living unacceptable distances from their birth families
Children’s ties with familiar local communities could be severed
The accumulated effect of these difficulties increase the potential for the child’s
loss of estrangement, identity and sense of belonging
The distance from the Local Authority can restrict the robust monitoring of such
placements. Checks and responding to crisis situations are not always
practicable within acceptable timescales and social workers time and costs can
have a significant impact.
Children aged 10 or over make up at least half of all the children placed with agency
foster carers.
3.7 Children placed with Agency Foster Carers during year, by age
01/06/01 - 01/06/02 - 01/06/03 - 01/06/04 - 01/06/05 -
Age group 31/05/02 31/05/03 31/05/04 31/05/05 31/05/06
0-4 0 0 0 5 4
5-9 0 0 2 1 3
10 or over 1 1 2 7 10
TOTAL (% of LAC) 1 1 4 (1.5%) 13 (4.5%) 17 (6.0%)
In addition there are a further 3 children who are presently referred (August 2006) for
family finding the fostering service for placements of this type.
This level of need is anticipated to continue. The aim is to recruit eight new foster
families who could provide individual placements for children who require particular
support. A review of financial remuneration and level of support to this group of carers is
in progress.
The following table includes the current referrals made for family finding, and also the
children who are in existing independent fostering agency placements.
Age Male Female
7 1
8 1
9
10 2 1
11
12 2 1
- 12 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
Recruitment for foster families to offer a foster home for one child exclusively is an
ongoing challenge to Blackpool’s fostering service. Each advertising campaign
highlights and prioritises such plans.
3.8 Foster parents offering preparation for independence
Current Placements
Age of Young Male Female Projected Additional
Person Placements needed
11 12 7 8
12 8 10 7
13 6 3 3
14 0 10 4
15 8 5 5
16 3 3 2
17 1 3 1
Total 38 41 30
There are 24 foster families who are approved to care for children and young people
between the ages of 11 and 18 years who will require preparation for independence.
There are at the present time 79 children/ young people living in these families.
The aim of the fostering service in Blackpool is to recruit 15 additional foster families to
provide 30 additional placements for children and young people between 11 and 18
years of age.
- 13 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
3.9 Remand Placements
Assessing demand
YOT Remands to Local Authority Accommodation (external placements)
2001 – 6
2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6
Cost of £180,089 £294,908 £278,346 £172,482 £170,225
external
placement
budget
Range of £1,521 - £1,521 - £825 - £1,026 - £1,108 -
placement £2,185 £2,292 £2,950 £1,850 £2,200
costs per
week
No of remand 17 26 41 21 12
episodes
Total no of 897 1447 1003 1603 1314
days on
remand
Average cost £200.77 £203.81 £277.51 £107.60 £129.55
per day
spent on
remand
Custodial 91 (30) 87 (26) 67 (17) 84 (20) 88 (24)
remand
episodes/
Young
People no in
brackets
3.9.1 This is a difficult area to predict with a wide variation in remand episodes over the
period. There is a lessening of demand over the last two years which may be
explained by tighter controls over children and young people as conditions of
their bail, including the YOT / Intensive Supervision & Surveillance Programme
Bail Supervision Schemes and electronic surveillance, and the swift justice
agenda within the criminal justice system that processes defendants quicker
through the remand period. So far in 2006/7 there have been 8 remand episodes
costing £47,402 with children and young people spending significantly less time
on remand.
3.9.2 There is a marked reduction in the average cost of placements for the last two
years that may be explained by the Association Greater Manchester Authorities
agreements in place across a number of local authorities in the Northwest and a
more robust approach to negotiation with local residential providers.
3.9.3 The significance of 2001/2 and the relatively low figures, particularly days spent
on remand, is that this was the last full year in which remand foster carers
operated, there were 3 regular providers. It is difficult to predict how much this
would impact but this could reduce the budget by up to 50% if there were 3
regular and credible remand carers in place.
- 14 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
3.9.4 However, as a note of caution, this was the highest year for the number of
custodial remands. Increased surveillance should offset this provided remand
carers comply with security companies as per the tagging process. Custodial
remands must only be used as a very last resort and in the best interests the
child / young person when all other means have been exhausted in the spirit of
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and 1989 Children Act
and. Only when no alternative is appropriate, due to the seriousness of the
offence, the offending history of the young person or the risk to the public, should
they be so detained.
3.9.5 It is proposed that 3 sets of remand foster carers are approved by 31/7/07 with a
view to reducing the external placement budget (in relation to cost of remands) by
50 %, this excluding transporting and escort costs. In addition to the budgetary
savings this would provide better qualitative care, particularly if the carers were
based in the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre area, thus enabling community plans to
be sustained during the remand period. Once sufficient confidence is achieved in
remand care further targets can be set to reduce the external budget further by
recruiting more carers.
3.9.6 Based on 2005/6 figures this would cost the authority the following, to save
£85,112:
o 50% of YOT Accommodation Officer’s time to recruit, support and train carers
– approx £14,000;
o 657 days spent in remand care placement (level 5 accreditation and based on
average age of 15 years as per weekly allowance) – approx £32,000;
o Total – approx £46,000.
3.10 Key Outcomes
The projected assessed need over the next three years for the Fostering Service will be
to expand placement provision as follows:-
(a) Recruit 6 families for mainstream care
To increase the number of foster families providing placements for children 0 –
10 years by a further six additional families. This increase should provide twelve
additional placements for children.
Assumption that they could care for up to 12 children – projection based
on
i. 8 aged 0 – 4 years
ii. 4 aged 5 – 10 years
Based on basic allowance x 52 weeks
Level 3 carer x 52 weeks
Holiday/Xmas & Birthday 1 x annual payment
i. £8,899.72 per child x 8 children = £71,197.76 p.a.
ii. £9,611.76 per child x 4 children = £38,447.04 p.a.
Annual cost = £111,068.88 for 12 children.
- 15 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
(b) Recruit 15 Families at Level 4*
To increase the number of foster families providing placements for children 11 –
15 years by a further fifteen additional families. This increase should provide
thirty additional placements for older children.
Assumption that they could care for up to 30 children – projection based
at 11-15 years and would help in preparation for independence.
Based on basic allowance x 52 weeks
Level 4 Carer x 52 weeks
Holiday/Xmas & Birthday 1 x annual payment
£13,327.35 per child
Annual Cost = £399,820.05 for 30 children
(c) Recruit 8 only child placements at Level 5*
To recruit and maintain eight fostering families to provide single placement for
those children with complex needs who have experienced significant difficulties
and instability in previous placements.
Assumption children will be in the 11-15 years age band
Based on basic allowance x 52 weeks
Level 5 Carer x 52 weeks
Holiday/Xmas & Birthday 1 x annual payment
£17,507.63 per child
Annual Cost = £140,061.04 for 8 children.
* The “levels” referred to indicate the accredited skill base of foster carers. See
Appendix B.
(d) Recruit 3 Remand Carers
To recruit and maintain three remand foster carers for those young people
remanded through the Courts to Local Authority care, by September 2007.
Assumption that basic allowance would be paid at the highest age band –
i.e. 16+
Based on basic allowance x 52 weeks
Level 5 Carer x 52 weeks
Holiday/Xmas & Birthday 1 x annual payment
£19,468.11 per child
Annual Cost £58,404.35 for 3 young people.
- 16 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
Summary
(a) £111,068.88 per annum
(b) £140,061.04 per annum
(c) £399,820.50 per annum
(d) £ 58,404.35 per annum
The above figures do not account for inflationary increases.
The above does not account for increased advertising costs, either for increased
mainstream advertising for specialist sole placements, which can average at a
cost of £750.00 per advert.
- 17 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
4. Planning and Delivering – Adoption Services
4.1 Assessing Demand
During the last 3 years the (weighted*) average number of children being placed for
adoption is 22. The majority of these are aged 0 – 4 years. A small proportion (e.g. 15%
from 1/6/05-31/5/06) were aged 5 – 9.
4.2 Children becoming placed for adoption during year
01/06/03 01/06/04 01/06/05
- - -
Age group 31/05/04 31/05/05 31/05/06
0-4 13 14 21
5-9 1 1 4
10 or over 2 1 2
TOTAL 16 16 27
*Weighted average, similar to a traditional average, but which gives more emphasis to
most recent figures.
It should be noted that all the children placed during this period, who were over 10 years
of age were actually being adopted by their existing foster-carers. It would be extremely
unlikely that we would be able to identify adopters for a child who was over their 10th
birthday, unless they were the existing carers for the child.
In Blackpool, adoption activity is high and adoption is considered to be a positive
outcome for children who are unable to remain within their birth families. In the past 3
years (1.4.03 to 31.3.06) 63 children have been adopted from care. This high figure has
consistently resulted in Blackpool achieving the highest rating for its performance in
relation to adoption.
4.3 Analysis of Resource
In the same three-year period, the council has approved 27 adoptive families. We
currently have 5 adoptive families approved and awaiting placement. Blackpool children
are rarely placed within the borough since the area is geographically very small and so it
is seldom appropriate to place within the town. Blackpool is a member of the Greater
Manchester Adoption Consortium and a member of Adoption 22 – a wider northwest
consortium of 22 Local Authorities. In most cases adoptive placements for Blackpool
children are identified within these resources. There is currently an arrangement
between the member agencies that a reduced inter-agency fee is charged for such
placements. This currently stands at £8,000 for one child and £12,000 for 2 siblings. The
consequences of this for Blackpool are that we are unable to offset our costs of placing
children with money we receive for placements.
The only way to address this in balance would be to increase the number of adoptive
families being approved. This could only be achieved by an increase in the number of
social workers in the Adoptive Team. The team is currently small with only 4 social
workers, 1 of whom has a dedicated post to support adopters post placement and post
adoption order. Hence in real terms only 3 social workers are available to actually
undertake assessments of potential adoptive parents. The recruitment of potential
- 18 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
adopters is also a very time consuming and costly task. Currently there is no post
dedicated to recruitment, so the team have to manage this between them and there is
only a limited budget available for this. In order to have a major shift in number of
adoptive parents being approved it would be essential to concentrate on recruitment and
increase the number of social workers in order to complete the assessments.
If adopters were to be approved who were used by agencies outside of the consortia this
would raise additional income. Currently, we would receive £12,354 if a placement were
offered of one child and £18,531 if the placement were for two children.
4.4 Proposed Outcomes
As outlined above we are unable in most cases to place children who originate from
Blackpool within our own resources since our geographical size impedes this. We do
encourage applications from prospective adopters who live outside of Blackpool, so that
we can utilize this potential resource. The current team capacity would be a maximum of
12/15 assessments in a twelve-month period. This has enormous budgetary implications
for us as we are placing far more children than we are offering families to. Hence,
ultimately if we exceed the allocated budget, this could potentially result in us being in a
position of being unable to place any further children in that financial year or monies we
need to be identified from elsewhere.
4.5 Key Outcomes
Adoption is rarely a realistic option for children over the age of 9 years.
It is imperative that children do not drift within the care system as the younger
they are, the easier it is to identify adoptive families for them and the more
successful these placements are likely to be.
Continued membership of consortium is essential in order to identify local
placements for Blackpool Children.
If the costs of placing Blackpool children are to be offset it would require an
increase in the size of the Adoption Team.
- 19 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
5. Planning and Delivering – Residential Child Care
Adolescent Children’s Homes;
3 Argosy Avenue, Grange Park 6-bed home
331 Bispham Road 6-bed home
5.1 In House Provision Analysis of Resource
Homes are of 1960’s design, small, group care homes, the design and layout to the
buildings are functionally adequate but it is quite difficult to moderate the institutional
‘feel’ of the buildings and present them as ‘homely, domestic accommodation’.
331 Bispham Road is in a main road location on the edge of a housing estate,
overlooking a park and swimming pool with a Family Centre sited next door. It is on a
main bus route with good transport links and with access to community facilities. The
home has a rear enclosed garden, which is private, and a well used facility. The
properties adjacent to the home do not overlook or compromise the privacy of residents
and relationships with the neighbourhood are good.
3 Argosy Avenue is situated on the edge of Grange Park Estate and is overlooked by
other properties to the front and one side. Transport links and access to community
services are good. Currently relationships between the home and the neighbourhood
are excellent however, this has not always been the case. The location of this home is
such that any disturbance at the home, at the front or in the garden, will be observed by
neighbours and any protracted difficulty with the behaviour of 1 or more young people at
the home has the potential to disrupt the current positive supportive relationship between
the home and the neighbours.
Both homes require incremental and ongoing investment in the internal and external
physical environment of the home to moderate the ‘institutional feel’ of the buildings and
create a more ‘homely and domestic’ environment.
Both homes can accommodate up to 6 young people. This is at the upper end of the
national trend, which is, towards smaller homes, For Blackpool as for most other Local
Authorities, unit costs are an important consideration and smaller homes incur higher
unit costs.
5.2 Assessing Demand
For Blackpool, the first consideration must be given to achieving the statutory and best
practice requirements relating to children and young people being placed locally and in
decision making for the very small number of young people with very complex needs
who require very specialist provision.
Both homes are designated to provide medium to long-term care placements with an
admission age range of 12 to 16. In House placement choice is limited to the two
residential establishments. The two homes however are well established and able to
meet the demand for placement and care needs for most young people with the
exception of those young people who present with complex needs and significant
challenging behaviour.
- 20 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
Further to this is required an ongoing review of staffing levels against the deployment of
staff to ensure that staff are used effectively to deliver the service and ensure that staff
resources are available to meet the individual needs of children.
As staffing is the most expensive component of a residential childcare service, staffing
levels need to be assessed as a dynamic resource responding to the specific and
developing needs of children and not as a fixed pre-determined entity. The objective is to
target staff time and skills where they are needed, when they are needed and involves
supplementing a core group of staff centred on each home.
The two, medium to long stay, homes continue to share the same statement of purpose
and function and offer 6 placements in each home.
The age range on admission to the homes remains 12 to 16 years.
The outline task of the existing homes should be to provide support and care for,
- children who need to live away from home for a period of time and the
families of those children working towards reunification of the family.
- Children who have a longer history of difficulty and who may have
complex needs and to help those children to maintain and develop
appropriate contact with their extended family.
The objective of in house provision must be to;
Provide residential placements congruent with the operational needs of
Blackpool.
Provide residential placements congruent with the Social Care and
developmental needs of the children projected to be in placement, including
those with complex needs and challenging behaviour.
Provide residential placements congruent with the needs of families of origin of
the children in placement, particularly in the context of family contact and
reunification.
Accommodate the development, (supported by the Leaving Care Act 2000), for
looked after young people to remain in placement until the age of 18 and in some
instances beyond this age. This is acknowledging the increased vulnerability of
care leavers living independently without the close support of a caring family,
delaying the leaving care event offers a significant degree of protection to those
young people who wish to stay in placement. It does however lead to a reduction
in the turnover for some young people in residential and foster care. Longer term
placements in turn means an effective reduction in available placements
equivalent to the number of looked after young people remaining in placement
beyond the age of 16.
There is a direct link between children and young people who present with complex
needs and significant challenging behaviour and a sharp increase in the numbers of out
of borough placements over the last five years of between 2.5 and 3 times the numbers
in 2001 / 2002. (table 1) indicating a demand for a more specialist form of placement for
this very small group of young people
- 21 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
Table 1 shows the steady increase in Out of Borough placements over the last 5 years,
predominantly in the 10 + age group
Children becoming LAC in External residential placements in each year, by age at
start
Year 0-4 5-9 10 or over TOTAL
01/06/01 - 31/05/02 0 0 4 4
01/06/02 - 31/05/03 1 0 2 3
01/06/03 - 31/05/04 0 0 11 11
01/06/04 - 31/05/05 0 1 12 13
01/06/05 - 31/05/06 2 0 10 12
Short Term Intensive Residential Support
The lack of local, in house facility to provide intensive structured support, targeted at
those young people who present with significantly challenging behaviour and complex
needs, beyond the capacity of current in house provision, contributes to higher than
average numbers of young people being placed in out of borough provision. The
development of such a provision would open up the possibility of undertaking intensive
time limited work with such young people to enable them to better regulate their
behaviour leading to a future return to their family or a placement in manageable
mainstream provision.
If such a facility were to be developed and to be effective it would need to be
operationally linked closely to Family support, CAMHS and Education and would need to
be sensitively located to minimise any potential disruption to neighbours and community.
This kind of facility would need to be small in size (i.e. 4 Beds), with a high staff ratio,
with education on site and with access to CAMHS consultation. The purpose of such a
facility would be to provide time limited interventions designed to enable young people to
better regulate their behaviour leading to a future return to their family or placement in
more mainstream provision. The facility would be able to provide placements in crisis
situations and respond flexibly to the needs of young people placed there.
Such a facility would only be possible with a significant capital investment to establish
suitable premises and the revenue cost would be significantly greater than the cost of
current in house provision.
The development of a 4 - bed provision would reduce the numbers of out of borough
placements by at least 4, representing an equivalent reduction in revenue expenditure,
offsetting the projected revenue costs of this facility. In practice the facility could have a
significant impact on the demand for out of borough provision by impacting directly on
the demands created by the challenging behaviour of a very small number of looked
after young people, having a similar downward impact on revenue spending on out of
borough placements.
A residential intensive support home would require a distinct statement of purpose and
function. The age range on admission should be from 12 to16 years. The size of the
accommodation should be no more than 4 places.
- 22 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
The outline task of the crisis intervention home should be to,
- Respond to the needs of young people who require structured intensive
intervention to assist them in regulating their challenging behaviours.
- In partnership with other agencies, respond to crisis situations assisting
with existing placements and offering emergency placements where
appropriate.
- Return the young person to family or mainstream placement with the
ability to moderate their own behaviour sufficiently for the placement to
accommodate them in safety.
5.3 Key Outcomes
Residential care maintains a clear strategic role in the wider children and family
service by:
providing residential placements congruent with the operational needs of Blackpool.
providing residential placements congruent with the Social Care and developmental
needs of the children projected to be in placement, including those with complex
needs and challenging behaviour.
providing residential placements congruent with the needs of families of origin of the
children in placement, particularly in the context of family contact and reunification.
Young people in placement will be enabled to remain looked after until their 18th
birthday, providing necessary extended support prior to independent living.
The needs of young people who require structured intensive intervention to assist
them in regulating their challenging behaviours can be met by provision of a
specialist unit.
The numbers of young people placed in out of borough placements is
significantly reduced.
Short-term interventions supported by multi disciplinary collaborative working will
be available to support placements or to initiate short-term intensive interventions
enabling a very small group of young people through periods of significant
challenging behaviour.
The outcomes for looked after children in Blackpool children’s homes are
improved.
- 23 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
6. Assessing Demand – Children with Additional Needs (formerly referred to
as children with disabilities)
6.1 Numbers of Children With Additional Needs (CWAN) accommodated as
Looked After Children
Residential Care
The numbers over the last 5 years have been low and have declined from 7 to 4
placements. Currently in the 10-17 age range;
1 is an Out of Borough placement for a 17 yr. old.
1 is an Out of Borough placement for a 14 yr. old.
2 are in house placements @ Hornby Road on a shared care basis with short
break care exceeding 120 days per year, 1 x 12 yrs. & 1 x 15 yrs.
6.2 Foster Care
Over the last 5 years, the numbers of children with additional needs accommodated in
foster care have in the 5-9 age range reduced from 5 to 1 and remained at no higher
than 2 since the end of 2002.
The 10 – 15 age range has fluctuated between 5 and 9 and is currently at 8.
Total number of LAC = 12
6.3 Numbers of CWD receiving Short Break Care services.
Residential Care
There are 44 children receiving short break care in a residential setting;
5 –9 yrs. age range 12
10- 15 yrs age range 25
16 yrs + 7
Current total 44
Over the last five years, this number has ranged between;
48 in 2001
52 at the end of 2003
48 at the end of 2005
This represents a fairly stable situation over the last 5 years.
6.4 Family Link Scheme
Currently there are 12 approved family link carers. 3 of these are full time foster carers
with 4 Children with Additional Needs (LAC) in placement between them.
The profile of these children is;
03 yrs 6 months.
10 yrs 5 months
10 yrs 8 months
14 yrs 8 months
This leaves 9 family link carers in the true sense of the term, 5 of these are active and
there are 5 children linked to these carers and a 6th link to begin at the end of July, 4
carers are taking a break from caring.
- 24 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
The profile of these children is;
2 x 8 yrs
2 x 13 yrs.
2 x 14 yrs.
There are 8 new carers currently undergoing assessment, 4 of these should be taken to
panel for approval within the next 2 months.
6.5 Analysis of Resource
Estimating the total numbers of Children with Additional Needs in Blackpool is imprecise
as registration on the planning record is voluntary. There are 271 names on the Planning
Record and of these 150 are cases open to the Targetted Services division. The number
of children currently receiving short break care is slightly less than 33% of the cases
open.
The Early Support Audit of children between 0- 5 years who have complex needs and
access 2 or more services, as follows;
Known to
Health and Education 96
Health and Social Care 89
Health Education and Social Care 35
This gives a total of 220
This group is to be further analysed to ascertain the levels of need, building a projection
of future need, as this cohort of children move through into older age groups. The only
variation would be from those leaving or arriving in the area and those children added to
the numbers as a result of acquired disability through trauma or disease.
Improving the range of available services will have a positive impact on how support
services can be delivered to families, e.g.
Direct Payments
Specialist Child Minders
In house Family Support
Family Link
Short Break Care
Specialist Foster Care
Inclusive play and leisure services etc.
Some of the children with complex health needs may be more appropriately cared for in
health oriented environments than in social care environments, this number would be
small but the provision for this group out of the social care system would reduce the
need for the additional high skill level and equipment required to care effectively for this
group within a social care setting.
Following the Best Value Review in 2003 a revised provision of residential care is being
implemented. This will ensure the type and extent of support is in accordance with
assessed need.
- 25 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
Currently 20 families receive a service at Hornby Road, with the proposed extension; this
would increase capacity and accessibility, dependent on the level of care being offered.
Allocations of care for a fixed period according to assessed need that are re-assessed in
a predetermined review cycle are logistically more difficult to plan for within a residential
context. These difficulties can however be overcome but require a dynamic interface
between the residential unit, the assessment team and the family.
The advantage of developing this model of care will be that residential short break
services are deployed in a more flexible and responsive way to meet the changing
needs of families.
The emerging range of other alternative forms of service can be used to meet the less
acute needs of families and promote the social integration of Children with Disabilities.
6.6 Key Outcomes
The Family Link Scheme will be key to the reform of service delivery.
To increase Family Link service by 2 staff to cope with increasing demands in
recruiting, supporting and training Family Link workers and to increase approved
Family Link carers to a total of 17
To further develop local family support services to enable early interventions,
which meet child needs and support families potential.
To continue to develop a flexible needs led short break provision within Hornby
Road.
- 26 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
APPENDIX A
Out of Borough residential placements at 30/06/06
Placement PARIS Age at Legal Status
ID Report
End
All Residential schools, except where dual-
registered as a school and children’s home 1013974 13 Full care order
All Residential schools, except where dual- Single period of accommodation
registered as a school and children’s home 1017925 17 under Section 20
All Residential schools, except where dual- Single period of accommodation
registered as a school and children’s home 1061190 14 under Section 20
Homes and hostels inside council boundary 1000786 17 Full care order
Homes and hostels inside council boundary 1009317 16 Full care order
Single period of accommodation
Homes and hostels inside council boundary 1009655 15 under Section 20
Homes and hostels inside council boundary 1009985 16 Full care order
Homes and hostels inside council boundary 1044408 15 Full care order
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1014962 15 Full care order
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1015860 12 Interim care order
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1015883 13 Full care order
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1016390 14 Interim care order
Single period of accommodation
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1017404 14 under Section 20
Single period of accommodation
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1017499 14 under Section 20
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1023241 14 Full care order
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1025651 13 Full care order
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1033028 12 Full care order
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1033471 13 Full care order
Single period of accommodation
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1036882 15 under Section 20
Single period of accommodation
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1038309 16 under Section 20
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1038512 15 Full care order
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1080596 9 Full care order
Single period of accommodation
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1084619 14 under Section 20
Single period of accommodation
Homes and hostels outside council boundary 1087024 16 under Section 20
Residential care home 1032283 15 Full care order
Secure unit outside council boundary 1015730 13 Full care order
Secure unit outside council boundary 1063189 15 Full care order
Impacting on the number of O.O.B. placements will necessitate impacting on all
residential placements, in and out of borough for children over 12 years and ensuring
that arrangements for those children on care orders or interim care orders and in a
residential placement is appropriately maintained will limit the potential impact. The total
number of children over 10 years old on 30/06/06 In and out of borough on a care order
is 20. If this were to be the base line for projected in house provision we would require a
further 8 in house children’s home beds.
- 27 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
APPENDIX B
Foster Carers Accreditation Scheme
Payments Structure
All Foster Carers are given a Basic Fostering Allowance for each child placed with
them. This basic allowance varies dependant on the age of the child.
In addition to the Basic Fostering Allowance all Foster Carers receive an
Accreditation for Skills Allowance. The skills levels are two, three, four and five and
vary depending on the Foster Carers assessed skills.
Basic Fostering Allowance Rates For Each Child
Birthday Holiday Xmas
Age Bands Weekly Allowance Allowance Allowance
Allowance
0 – 4 yrs 88.90 44.45 243.57 88.90
5 – 10 yrs 101.56 50.78 278.30 101.56
11 – 15 yrs 126.38 63.19 346.30 126.38
16+ 161.24 80.62 441.78 161.24
Accreditation For Skills Allowance For Each Child, Each Week
Level Two £30 per week
Level Three £75 per week
Level Four £119.61 per week
Level Five £200 per week
All Foster Carers after initial training, development and assessment will be able to offer
basic skills leading to a safe nurturing environment, which allows each child to develop
their full potential.
Level Two carers will:
Undertake ‘emergency placements’ at very short notice where little is known of
the child’s needs.
Facilitate contact between the child and the birth family.
Support the child during uncertainty about future plans.
At September 2006 there are 29 carers in this category.
Level Three carers will have the additional competencies to enable them to:
Manage a child who is exhibiting negative destructive and inappropriate
behaviour thus encouraging more socially acceptable behaviour.
- 28 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
Support the child or young person who is excluded from mainstream schooling in
an alternative education programme.
At September 2006 there are 31 carers in this category.
Level Four carers will have the competencies primarily to meet the needs of young
people aged 9 and over. They will have the additional competencies to meet the needs
of a young person who is exhibiting two or more of the following behaviours.
Extreme repetitive or obsessive behaviour.
Has been excluded from school or is a non-school attender.
Persistently absconds.
Is persistently and deliberately destructive.
Wets the bed or urinates in the home.
Has already had two matched foster home breakdowns within a year.
Is cruel to pets.
Regularly throws severe temper tantrums or engages in confrontational
behaviour.
Has developmental delay, which necessitates the young person receiving a high
level of supervision to keep them safe.
Is socially isolated and has no outside interests.
Cares at this level should not have employment commitments, which impede the
amount of care needed at this level.
At September 2006 there are 29 carers in this category.
Level Five
A child requiring a carer at this skill level will:
Be under 12 years of age at the time of referral.
Be a child whose needs would otherwise be met by a specialist residential
placement.
Need attention of a carer with no work or other full time commitments.
May need to be the only or the youngest child in the household.
A Level Five carer will be recruited for a specific child, will be a named Level Five carer
for that child, and will be expected to look after that child until the age of 18 if required.
- 29 -
Placement strategy for looked after children 2006:2009
At September 2006 there is one carer in this category.
Foster Carers will be eligible to progress up the accreditation levels after undertaking
appropriate training and developing their skills.
Normally reassessment of a carers’ skills will be part of the statutory annual review.
Family and Friend Carers receive the Basic Fostering Allowance for each child
dependant on age.
At September 2006 there are 15 carers in this category.
- 30 -
