Long-term care should be last resort, says ADCS president

Addressing the Fostering Network's debate on the future of foster care, Kim Bromley-Derry opposed Martin Narey, the chief executive of Barnardo's, argument that more children should be taken into care earlier.

Bromley-Derry, who is director of children's services in Newham, said the current care system results in children being taken in to care "even when their outcomes are best met through other interventions based around supporting their family or community".

Instead, he said the system should prevent entrance to long-term care through preventative work focusing on early use of short-term care, parenting support, weekend care and family intervention.

He said: "We must ensure only a small number of highly complex cases remain in longer-term care, but with intensive packages of support wrapped around them.

"Foster carers must become an integral part of the local arrangements whether these are teams around the child, family or community. They must play a key role in both case decision making and more strategic decision making."

Also speaking at the conference, Robert Tapsfield, chief executive of the Fostering Network, renewed calls for a culture change in the way foster carers are treated by the other professionals working with children.

He said: "The current evidence is that foster care is not doing enough for children - placement moves are too frequent and children are leaving foster care too early.

"Costs increase because central and local government are not getting it right with care. Taking time to make the right decision about a child in placement, supporting foster carers and the children themselves is what will save the local authority thousands of pounds later on."