Council agrees enhanced package for foster carers to kick start recruitment drive

Orkney Islands Council has given its backing to a raft of new measures to better support foster carers to allow them to best meet the needs of children in their care. 

The financial enhancements to foster carers will include an increase from the mainstream £100 per week per household fee to £400 per week per child or young person. 

In addition, foster carers will receive the nationally agreed fostering allowance, which depending on the age of the child ranges from £168.31 per week (0-4 years) increasing incrementally to £269.41 per week (up to 18 years of age). The allowance is to support the foster carers to ensure the individual needs of the child are met. 

The new measures, which replace an outdated banding system, come as the Council launches a recruitment drive for foster carers in the county to reduce the need to send children and young people outwith Orkney – which cost the local authority £1.36M in 2023/24. 

The Council’s Head of Children, Families and Justice Services and Chief Social Work Officer, Darren Morrow, said: “A new management team within the Fostering, Adoption and Kinship Service has been progressing an improvement plan in line with Care Inspectorate recommendations – with a key priority being the recruitment and retention of foster carers.  

“As part of this, a review of allowances and fees paid has been carried out which it is hoped will create much needed consistency and equity among the highly valued groups of carers that we currently have and increase the likelihood of successful foster carer recruitment and retention moving forward. 

“For the last three years we have relied heavily on expensive out of Orkney placements, whether with an independent fostering agency or residential care. Not only is it much better for children and young people to be able to grow up in their homeland of Orkney, but it is also much more cost effective. Had we been able to keep all those 13 children in Orkney during that year we could have saved just short of £1M. 

“Whilst taking on the role of a foster carer should not be driven by financial incentive, the local authority must be realistic about the cost to individuals who embark on these professional roles. 

“Foster carers are trained and dedicated professionals who take on the role of parenting children and young people until they can return home, or until other care arrangements can be made. Some children may remain in long term foster care with their foster carers. 

“Foster carers get to express their interest in emergency, short, medium and longer-term foster care. The proposed fee payment incentivises skill and the commitment given to a challenging yet rewarding professional vocation. 

“This dedication of individuals and their families to children/young people who have suffered trauma and adverse childhood experiences and who are highly trained will allow informed, nurturing and healing care to Orkney’s children to be provided.” 

Like many other areas across Scotland over several years, the Council has had a reducing number of foster carers, and it is estimated that a total of ten foster carer households will be required to meet future need in Orkney. 

Mr Morrow continued: “The new and enhanced fee structure is intended to attract many more people into becoming valued foster carers and do away with the need for external use, unless specialist care is required. 

“We are also keen to showcase the training and development package which scaffolds foster carers to support them to meet the needs of the children in their care and given our more stable staffing position, we have a dedicated supervising social worker allocated to each foster care family.” 

Short break carers – those who can offer some respite to foster carers by taking a child or young person for a short period to ensure stability of the original placement – are currently only paid an allowance but as part of the new policy will also be paid a pro rata fee. 

Mr Morrow said: “If you have been thinking about fostering or are interested in what it may involve, then please get in touch as there has never been a better time to come on board with what can be an incredibly fulfilling journey. 

“We are interested in expressions of interest from those currently in employment and those who are not, with an overarching fostering first ethos. Rhoda Walker was a working mum when she decided to foster care. She found the experience very enriching. Please read and listen to what she has to say.” 

Rhoda, from Kirkwall, believes anyone who can offer a safe and loving home can become a foster carer – the rest, she says, will follow. 

“It may seem like a cliche, but it is so rewarding to see a bairn smile and watch them settle in and enjoy being part of family life – our family life. They walk in confused and hopefully leave with a spark in their eyes – and there’s no better feeling than that,” Rhoda said. 

Rhoda and her husband Mervyn were working parents when they decided they wanted to explore foster caring and looked after 13 children and young people over three years. 

Rhoda explained: “Our kids were grown up and we had empty bedrooms, and we knew there was a need for foster carers. We applied and went through the formalities which naturally must be thorough – and although it took some time it was a relatively straightforward process. 

“It is perceived that there’s a huge amount of bureaucracy - yes, of course there’s checks and paperwork because these are homes where children and young folk will be placed, but perhaps there’s not as much as some may think. Don’t let that put you off – there can be challenges but it is hugely rewarding as much for yourself as the children being fostered. 

“If you have a wish to help or a yearning to try fostering, even if you have just wondered what it would be like – then you should go for it and find out more.” 

To find out more about becoming a foster carer in Orkney head over to  https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/orkney-health-and-social-care-partnership/children-and-families/fostering/or call 01856 873535 and ask to speak to a member of the social work team.