1. Foster Care models in Europe Alexis Jay, Chief Social Work Adviser to the Scottish Government. 26 October 2011 Zagreb, Croatia

3. Looked After children in Scotland(1) 16,000 in the care of local authorities 6000 living with their parents 5000 living with foster carers 1500 living in residential accommodation 3000 living with friends/family (Kinship)

4. Looked After children in Scotland (2) Over 90% were white 18% were aged between 1-4 years old 36% were aged between 5-11 years old 33% were aged between 12-15 years old 11% were aged between 16-21 years old Of those living with foster carers, more than two thirds were in local authority placements and one-third with NGOs or private foster care providers.

5. Scotland : Population 5.1 million Scottish Parliament/ Scottish Government since 1999 for certain powers Local Government – 32 local authorities (municipalities) Local authorities assess needs and provide social services, both directly and through the voluntary and private sectors. Social profile in urban areas marked by poverty and ill-health particularly addictions, mental health and high levels of violent offending.

6. Social Services workforce Regulated by a national government organisation Nearly 200,000 people in paid employment in social services - 34% public sector - 39% private sector -27% voluntary sector 5200 qualified social workers in local authorities and in total 10,600 social workers registered to practise

7. Institutions involved in Foster Care Central Government - policy Local Government – recruitment, provision, and promotion of foster care. Placement and care planning of children NGOs and private agencies – recruitment, provision and promotion of foster care National Care Inspectorate – independent regulator of all providers

8. Foster care providers in Scotland Three types – local authority, NGOs and private agencies Must be registered with the Care Inspectorate They contract with the local authority who places children with them via their social workers Contract will cover issues of quality as well as financial arrangements Contracts are reviewed regularly and checks made with the placing social workers about the quality of the foster carer’s work

9. Eligibility to be a foster carer People do not need to be married They can be single, divorced or cohabiting Gay men and lesbians are eligible No upper age limits but physical fitness and maturity are important

10. Process for Registration(1) All foster carers must be registered by an approved agency Children can only be placed with approved foster carers Rigorous assessment process of at least six months Fostering Panels are used to approve applicants

11. Process for Registration(2) If the applicant is married or care is to be shared with two people, both will be assessed. Two references required Medical and criminal records will be checked on applicants and any others in the household aged over 18.

12. Regulation and Inspection Individual services e.g. children’s home, day centre, foster care agency must be registered with the Care Inspectorate and re-registered annually They are inspected on a frequency agreed by Parliament – for certain categories twice a year, once announced and once unannounced If the quality of service is poor and does not improve their registration is removed and they may no longer function

13. Types of foster care in Scotland Emergency Short-term Short breaks Long-term and permanent ‘Kinship’ Fostering Private Fostering Adult placements

14. Remuneration and Benefits Allowances – these cover the cost of caring for a looked after child Fees – these are paid in recognition of a child’s particular needs but also reflect foster carer’s skills and experience Tax Relief – no tax paid on income from fostering up to a maximum of 12,000euros Home Responsibilities Protection of basic retirement pension

15. Foster Carer training and education Training is a mandatory part of assessment The agency which provides the fostering service is responsible for training and development All foster carers have an annual review and training needs are identified Some carers also take a national vocational qualification Local support groups for foster carers run educational sessions on relevant topics

16. Foster carer support Quality of support is essential to retention of foster carers For some foster carers in Scotland, good support is preferable to higher fees In all agencies, the foster carer will have named support worker who keeps in regular contact with the foster carer Most agencies also run regular support group meetings encouraging the sharing of experience and knowledge and providing training All agencies will also provide some form of out of hours contact in case of emergency

17. The biological family Contact will largely be determined by the best interests of the child No absolute right to access In some circumstances the foster carer will work closely with the biological family, especially if the plan is for the child to return home Decisions on all of these areas are made at formal reviews of the child’s progress and circumstances The Scottish system places strong emphasis on consulting the child and listening to their views, depending on age and understanding.

18. Strengths of the Scottish system Legislation aims to prevent the recruitment of unsuitable people for working with children Regulation controls the quality of agencies who set themselves up to provide foster care Strong culture in legislation of placing the child’s needs first The Children’s Hearing system

19. Areas for Improvement Not enough foster carers to meet current demand Quality of support for foster carers with children who have increasingly complex needs Children not moved into permanent families quickly enough Children in the care system experience too many moves in both residential care and foster care Foster care should be developed as a more flexible resource.

20. Alexis Jay, Chief Social Work Adviser alexis.jay@scotland.gsi.gov.uk