Source: City of Plymouth
A new programme is working to help move children in care in Plymouth from residential placements into family-based settings, including foster care and kinship care.
Reconnect, a specialist organisation which supports local authorities to achieve successful transitions for children in care, will be working with Plymouth City Council to carry out this work following an executive decision signed on 30 July.
The initiative comes in response to a growing number of children in care and a national shortage of foster carers, which has led to increased reliance on high-cost residential placements.
The Council has identified a number of children who, with additional support, are ready to transition to family settings, with the aim of improving their wellbeing.
Councillor Jemima Laing, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, said: “This programme is about giving children the opportunity to thrive in a supportive family environment.
“While in a small number of cases, a residential setting may be appropriate for a child or young person, for most it would be much better for them to be living in a family home within Plymouth, close to their friends, families and schools.
“We are committed to ensuring every child receives the care they need in the most nurturing setting possible and look forward to working with Reconnect to help make this a reality for more of our children in care.”
Over a 14-month period, Reconnect will provide experienced practitioners to work alongside Plymouth’s social workers, delivering intensive, trauma-informed support to children and their prospective carers.
Key elements of the programme include:
- Assessment, planning and intervention: Therapeutic engagement with the identified children to prepare them for family-based care.
- Foster carer recruitment: Targeted campaigns to recruit and support foster carers capable of meeting the complex needs of children and young people moving out of residential care.
The programme is designed to be cost-effective, operating on a payment-by-results model. Plymouth City Council will only pay for services once savings are achieved through successful transitions.
Foster for Plymouth, the Council’s own fostering service, has developed a package of support for carers who can look after children leaving residential care, known as the ‘Step Forward’ scheme. This includes enhanced financial allowances, starting at £840 per week, and wraparound support from a dedicated team of professionals.
Find out more about becoming a foster carer in Plymouth at fosterforplymouth.co.uk.