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CHAPTER 9: ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND SUMMARY

9.1 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Finally, consultees were asked "If you wish to add any additional relevant issues, please do so below."

9.1.1 Additional comments mainly included background information on the consultee or reiteration of points covered in previous questions; the main recurring comment was on the need to support kinship carers (10 mentions). The need for extra support for foster carers was mentioned in 4 responses. Issues of how any proposed changes would be funded or general comments on the need for more funding appeared again in 8 responses. In particular, extra funding needs were anticipated:

• children's service budgets are under serious pressure;
• more financial burdens will arise in the form of:
  • permitting young persons to remain in their foster home after turning eighteen, if desired;
  • more carers to support current carers;
  • national protocol for allegations;
  • ensuring that kinship care is much more widely available to children;
  • publicise private fostering;
  • recruitment campaigns at national & local levels;
  • incorporating respite care and preventative work.
• kinship care can only achieve a statutory foundation with proper financial backing and appropriate legislative change.

9.1.2 Other, additional, points included 2 mentions of backdating tax credits where foster carers have been involved in caring before the introduction of tax credits. There was also a call for pension rights to be provided from the outset of caring and that these should not be on a claim or lose basis.

9.1.3 A mention that, in keeping with Getting It Right For Every Child ( GIRFEC), all policies must be child-centred and 2 comments on confusion in kinship and looked after categories, including one that this contradicts GIRFEC principles. There was a comment that the organic and shifting definitions of kinship care means that the role of fostering care has seemed unclear at times.

9.1.4 The strategy should also address the needs of children and young people who move between foster and residential care.

9.1.5 A specific call for the term 'particular circumstance' to be dropped as this was seen to encourage organisations to opt out of paying kinship carers under section 50.

9.1.6 One response, from lawyers acting on behalf of a fostering agency, dealt solely with "a significant anomaly in current law and practice" with regards to the exclusion of non-voluntary organisations. This is at odds with the situation in England and Wales and was seen as an "arbitrary barrier" to their operation, violates the principle of equal treatment and constitutes a breach of EU law.

9.1.7 Two kinship carers detailed their own experiences and the obstacles they encounter in their role.

9.1.8 There were 2 calls for kinship and foster care to be treated in separate strategies.

9.1.9 There were comments, from 3 consultees that current practice appears more focussed on finance than on the wellbeing of children in care. COSLA felt that any national strategy needs to be child-focused, but that the involvement of other individuals, family members and the state need to be clarified; this will, in turn, help the public to understand the available alternatives to state provision.

9.1.10 There was a call for children and young people to be involved in developing the strategy while 2 consultees stressed the need for children to be given a say or a choice in their placement.

9.1.11 There was a cautionary note that the Scottish Executive and local government need to work jointly and further that the Integrated Children's Services should be responsible for both fostering and kinship care and for providing leadership at both political and officer levels.

9.1.12 Additional comments from the Fostering Network events also mainly reiterated earlier comments and these included the need to value foster carers through financial, training and other support, respecting their input, putting foster care on a professional footing. Again, support for kinship carers was mentioned as was the feeling of inequality with foster carers and there were also mentions that it appears to kinship carers that children in kinship care are discriminated against in relation to those in foster care because of a lack of financial and other support. Concerns were again raised over the need for extra resources to be put into supporting fostering services.

9.1.13 Further comments from events included the impact of what one foster carer described as "a drugs epidemic" on the number of children and young people in need of care.

9.1.14 There were 2 further calls to separate kinship and foster care into two strategies, a comment that the definition of kinship care is too narrow and again concern that there is an emphasis on the needs of looked after children rather than children in need which is inconsistent with the principles of GIRFEC.

9.1.15 One foster care worker asked whether the strategy would look at "the changing role men can play in young people's lives given lack of the male role models."

9.1.16 There was a comment on the need to tailor resources to individual children.

9.1.17 Finally, young people at the fostering network consultations were asked what they would like to say to those developing the strategy:

9.2 SUMMARY

9.2.1 There were a range of responses from a variety of viewpoints; both from organisations and from individuals acting as carers. Of those commenting at most questions, there were generally higher numbers of consultees answering positively than negatively, although high proportions of consultees did not provide definitive responses to questions.

9.2.2 Comments on the need for financial support occurred frequently across most questions in the consultation. Funding for the provision of training and support by local authorities as well as increased assistance for carers was one of the key themes in the consultation responses. When asked about standard versus minimum fees and allowances, consultees voiced more support for standard rates and the greatest support was for a standard rate of allowance.

9.2.3 The need for both respite and 24 hours support for carers was another theme which appeared often in responses and consultees again commented on the need for increased funding and staffing levels to provide these.

9.2.4 Consultees identified a need for an increased pool of available carers; as well as more social work or other professional staff to provide assessment and support to both carers and to children and young people. Word of mouth was seen as the best method of recruitment.

9.2.5 Parity with foster carers in terms of financial assistance, support and recognition for kinship carers emerged in responses and event reports. This was not only seen in comments from kinship carers themselves but also from local authorities and other organisations. There were also comments on the very different nature of these two caring roles and, while consultees agreed that kinship carers should be entitled to more support these differences would necessitate different methods of delivery.

9.2.6 There was widespread support for enabling young people to stay in care for as long as they, and their carers, required. Support for carers to enable them to continue to care for young people reaching adulthood would be required, comments were mainly on the need for continuing financial arrangements but there were also some on the need for extra training in dealing with young people moving on.

9.2.7 On the subject of registration, comments indicated that training, development and assessment were more important in improving the foster care service rather than simply a process of registration. While more consultees felt that registration would improve the service than did not, local authorities disagreed.

9.2.8 In relation to the protocols surrounding allegations, the main comments were on the need for speedy resolutions and for support for all involved.

9.2.9 Looking at the main respondent groups the main focus of comments for each group was as follows:

• kinship carers: the need to be given access to the same financial and other support normally given to foster carers but with an understanding and consideration of the differences between the two types of care. Some of the individual carer responses and reports from the events for kinship carers gave details of the hardship and difficulties they face.
• foster carers: foster carer responses include calls for the professionalistion of their role. Associated with this were comments that they do not feel their opinions and experience are valued by professional staff. Extra funding to provide an adequate, realistic standard allowance and to provide money for repairing and replacing household items and transport seen as necessary.
• local authorities: agreed with the need to provide extra support to both foster and kinship carers but pointed out that extra monies would have to be made available from central funds to allow this to happen. The "other" group of individuals made broadly similar comments to those seen in local authority responses; this may indicate that many of those in this category perhaps work within the foster care service.
• voluntary / charity organisations along with fostering organisations and carer's groups: tended to make comments similar to those given by carers.
• young people: wanted to have more say in their placements and also demonstrated considerable understanding of the needs of foster carers. They were strongly supportive of changing the current system to allow young people to remain with their carer after the age of 18.

9.2.10 Looking across questions, those responding positively to one question generally gave a positive response to other questions in the same section. This was, however, not the case in relation to mandatory training. While 68 consultees were in favour of mandatory training for foster carers, less than half (31) of those saying yes were also in favour of mandatory training for kinship carers.

9.2.11 It is clear that this consultation has given individuals and organisations the opportunity to present a wide range of views on the development of the National Fostering and Kinship Care Strategy. While the strategy was generally welcomed across all categories of respondent, many felt that the details and financial implications needed for carers, both foster and kinship, play a crucial role in helping some of the most vulnerable children and young people in society and young people themselves when asked what makes for an ideal carer gave many answers; patience, caring, forgiveness and good listening skills were mentioned most frequently.

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