Fostering Service improvements underway – but staffing crisis remains a challenge

The Council has implemented a number of improvements to the Orkney Fostering Service and pledged to act swiftly on any outstanding findings from a Care Inspectorate report into the service which was published this week (29 November).

A number of key actions have already been implemented, such as the recruitment of an interim service manager who has begun work on the improvement plan.

An additional social worker will be joining the Fostering and Adoption Team in January 2023 and a training programme for foster carers began last month.

At the heart of the report findings, inspectors highlighted the “chronic” shortage of permanent staff which had led to certain aspects of the service not being provided – an issue previously highlighted to both the Scottish Government and the Care Inspectorate by the Interim Chief Executive of the Council.

Despite the pressures facing the very small staff team, inspectors found many strengths - staff formed genuine relationships with carers; they were skilled in helping to resolve challenging situations and in providing specialist advice and quality one-to-one support to foster carers.

Foster carer families also commented on the skills of staff but highlighted the pressures they were under.

However, significant weaknesses in other areas, due to the staff shortage, led to inspectors rating the service as weak in terms of how well the service supports people’s wellbeing and how good the staff team is.

Inspectors said fostering staff assisting in other areas of the stretched Children and Families service had impacted on the quality and quantity of service provision for foster families. There was also a lack of staff training.

Inspectors rated the leadership and care and support planning to be unsatisfactory. The lack of a registered manager for the service had led to the inability to provide core aspects of the service and improvements being side-lined although the appointment of the interim service manager will help addresses this issue.

The significant challenges being faced in relation to recruitment across Orkney’s social work and social care workforce in Orkney in the context of a major national shortage prompted the Council’s Interim Chief Executive, John Mundell to write to the Scottish Government back in October.

Mr Mundell said: “The issue is one that is being experienced across the country but the difficulties we are experiencing in recruiting to social care and social work roles are particularly pronounced and present significant risk.

“Despite our best efforts to date, our Children and Families Social Work team has been operating for some time whilst significantly understaffed. This has meant that at times our social workers within foster care have been called upon to assist with child protection issues for example.”

He said that every effort is being made to recruit as that is key to service improvements.

“We have developed a strategic partnership with the Open University to provide Social Work traineeships, building on people’s existing qualifications and plugging them in to the social work degree course as appropriate. In promoting this scheme just across the wider council initially, we generated over 20 expressions of interest and three members of staff will begin the course in February with the potential to qualify in 18-24 months.

“Longer term, this approach will help grow and stabilise the workforce but the challenge of sustaining the service until these measures bear fruit presents a high level of risk.

“A wider recruitment campaign is being planned and will get underway soon.”

The Council has acknowledged the lack of progress in terms of improvements to the service over a number of fostering inspections and has been given a deadline of 30 December 2022 to make the necessary changes – with much of the improvement work already underway.

Orkney Health and Social Care Partnership Chief Officer, Stephen Brown, said: “We are truly sorry that the service has not been as it should, and we have to find ways to make improvements – but this will be a challenge especially trying to find suitably qualified and experienced permanent staff in the midst of a persistent national shortage.  

“Whilst we absolutely recognise that the service being provided has not been at a level that it should, this is through no fault of the staff on the ground. Without question, the overall Children and Families service is chronically short-staffed and it is this that has to change, so that our teams can be supported to deliver a service that everyone can be proud of.

“Our leadership team are spending time to further consider how we might possibly meet these challenges, alongside elected members, staff and service users in order that we can make the improvements that are needed to provide the level of service that our fostering families deserve.”

You can access the full report here - https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/care-services?detail=CS2004082094

What is the Fostering Service?

The Council-run Orkney Fostering Service looks after children and young people from birth to 18 years. They recruit and support foster carer families to provide a range of fostering placements including permanent, long-term, interim and short-break. The service aims to provide quality, loving, safe and nurturing family-based care.

How many children and young people are currently in foster care in Orkney?

There are eight children in foster care in Orkney.

How many foster carer families do we have in Orkney at present?

Six.

Who is responsible for inspecting the Fostering Service?

The Care Inspectorate. Inspectors carried out the most recent inspection during September 2022 and published their findings on 29 November 2022.

What did the Inspection Report say?

You can access the full report here - https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/care-services?detail=CS2004082094

What were some of the main findings from the report?

At the heart of the report, Inspectors found a “chronic” shortage of permanent staff had led to the inability to provide core aspects of the service. This staffing crisis is also being felt nationally but with such small numbers in Orkney the loss of one or two can have a huge detrimental impact on the ability to deliver the level of service that our fostering families deserve.

Inspectors rated the service as weak in terms of how well the service supports people’s wellbeing and how good the staff team is. However, it must be noted that Inspectors found strengths within the small staff team - staff formed genuine relationships with carers. They were skilled in helping to resolve challenging situations and in providing specialist advice.

Inspectors said fostering staff assisting in other areas of the stretched Children and Families service had impacted on the quality and quantity of service provision for foster families. There was also a lack of staff training.

Inspectors rated the leadership and care and support planning to be unsatisfactory. The lack of a registered manager for the service had led to the inability to provide core aspects of the service and improvements being side-lined, although the appointment of the interim service manager will help address this issue.

Are staff not doing their jobs properly?

That’s not the case. Our very small staff team are doing their best and this was acknowledged by the Inspectors in terms of the relationships formed with foster carers, their skills and the quality one-to-one support provided to foster carers.

Without question, the service is chronically short-staffed and this has to change so the staff on the ground doing their absolute best can also be supported to deliver a service that everyone can be proud of.

What is being done to try and recruit social work staff?

We have recruited an interim service manager who has been in post for six weeks and is driving forward the improvement plan. A further social worker will join the Fostering and Adoption team early in the new year.

We have developed a strategic partnership with the Open University to provide Social Work traineeships, building on people’s existing qualifications and plugging them in to the social work degree course as appropriate. In promoting this scheme just across the wider council initially, we generated over 20 expressions of interest and three individuals will begin their course early in the new year. Whilst this is hugely encouraging, it will take between 18-24 months for those individuals to qualify, with others taking potentially up to four years. Longer term, this approach will help grow and stabilise the workforce but the challenge of sustaining the service until these measures bear fruit presents a high level of risk.

Wider recruitment campaign planning is underway.

The Council’s interim Chief Executive has been in touch with the Scottish Government to highlight the challenges being experienced in Orkney and requesting more information on what is being considered from a national perspective. The extent of the challenge we face locally, and the experience across the country, will necessitate a collegiate and joined up response across our local and national system.

In a similar situation a number of years ago, a national fast-track scheme for social workers was created to good effect. It would seem timely to consider re-introducing this as it would assist greatly in addressing the current crisis and would complement the efforts of local authorities across Scotland.

There have been a number of inspections – have improvements been made?

The Council has implemented a number of improvements to the Orkney Fostering Service and will be working alongside colleagues at the Care Inspectorate to try and ensure we can deliver on as many of the requirements as possible by the 30 December 2022 deadline.

A number of key actions have already been implemented, such as the recruitment of an interim service manager who has begun work on the improvement plan.

An additional social worker will be joining the Fostering and Adoption Team in January 2023 and a training programme for foster carers began last month.

What assurances can you give to staff, foster carer families, parents, children and young people that the service will improve?

We are truly sorry that the service has not been as it should, and we have to find ways to make improvements – but this will be a challenge especially trying to find suitably qualified and experienced permanent staff in the midst of a persistent national shortage.  

Whilst we absolutely recognise that the service being provided has not been at a level that it should, this is through no fault of the staff on the ground. Without question, the overall Children and Families service is chronically short-staffed and it is this that has to change, so that our teams can be supported to deliver a service that everyone can be proud of.

Our leadership team are spending time to further consider how we might possibly meet these challenges, alongside elected members, staff and service users in order that we can make the improvements that are needed to provide the level of service that our fostering families deserve.