Why DfE statistics on foster care recruitment don’t add up

There is a serious point here but first we must acknowledge that the number of enquires is significantly overstated. Most prospective carers contact at least two independent foster care agencies (IFAs) and/or local authorities (LAs) when they are seeking to foster. This means that the quoted figure for there being 138,075 enquiries in 2022/23 is likely to be at least two or three times higher than is actually true. Many are the same people calling a number of agencies.

This is important as if we think there are enough enquiries already we will not focus on an important opportunity to increase the number of foster carers.

• Foster care capacity slumps despite initial enquiries rise

If the DfE are serious about increasing the number of foster carers then they must think and act systemically. There are a number of steps that need to be taken sequentially.

Retention

Between 2021 and last year, 5,435 mainstream fostering households deregistered, while only 4,035 were approved. Before we turn the taps on we need to put the plug in. Some foster carers reach the end of their fostering journey, and we thank them for their commitment and care.

However, we lose too many because we do not look after them well enough. We can do much, much better in offering a decent level of fees and allowances, the allegations process is overlong and leads to carers leaving because the process has been too bruising. We need to care for our foster carers and too often this does not happen. Too often meetings about their foster children are held without them, delegated authority is not granted, and they are not treated like the expert in the child that they are. Unless we get better at this, we will never be able to recruit enough carers to increase the overall number of foster carers.      

National recruitment campaign

If we address retention then investing in a national recruitment campaign is the obvious next step. The main reason that any given person has not considered fostering is that it has never been suggested to them that they could foster. Many misconceptions remain about needing to be a couple, to own a home or to have had children of your own. So much DfE money goes into teacher recruitment, but John Lewis have spent more on promoting fostering than the DfE has.

Carer recruitment processes

The brutal truth is that a significant number of LAs are not set up to take foster carers through the recruitment process speedily and efficiently. The idea for regional care co-ops might address this. We need carer recruitment teams that are dedicated to approving new carers and work hand in glove with the fostering service who will receive the new carers. We also need to look at streamlining the process, it must be thorough and safe but we have created an industry of oversight. There is no evidence that LA’s can do this consistently and so it is time to look at another approach. If we pump recruitment money into an approach that is structurally failing then we will not see an increase in foster carer numbers. A regional approach, unencumbered by council bureaucracy and competing priorities could be a good option.

And finally

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to be invited to the first 10 Downing Street reception for and about foster carers. It was a positive and good event, but it is a scandal that this is the first time it has happened. We need to value foster carers; we need to trust foster carers and we need to cherish foster carers. If we can demonstrably do this then we have an opportunity to retain those we have and persuade others to join them.

Andy Elvin is chief executive of Tact Care