Cuts jeopardise wellbeing of fostered children, charity claims

Responding to a survey by The Fostering Network, more than two thirds (69 per cent) of foster carers said they felt that cuts had resulted in reduced access to their child’s social worker.

Meanwhile, three out of five (60 per cent) felt that support from their supervising social worker was adversely affected, and two thirds (67 per cent) felt that cuts had impacted negatively upon their and their fostered child’s access to other services, including respite care and mental health services.

In addition, two thirds of foster carers (70 per cent) reported that their allowances had been negatively impacted by local authority cuts, with some now required to pay for things that had previously been covered.

Kevin Williams, chief executive of The Fostering Network, said the organisation is “extremely concerned” that so many foster carers feel that recent cuts are having a negative impact on their fostered children’s access to the support and services.

“The wellbeing of thousands of fostered children is under threat,” he said.

“This is worrying enough in itself. But equally worrying is the drop in the support – both practical and financial – being offered to foster carers to enable them to provide stable and loving homes to these children.

“The Fostering Network has fought long and hard to ensure that all foster carers even receive an allowance to cover the costs of looking after the children in their care. To think that this progress is in danger of being eroded and that foster carers will be forced to subsidise the care of these children or that children will go without is truly shocking."

Richard Watts, vice-chair of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said councils have worked hard to protect frontline children’s services with spending on children and family services increasing between 2010 and 2013.

“Unfortunately, this has still amounted to a reduction in real terms, and didn’t take into account increasing demand, particularly in high-end child protection services,” he added.

“More than 20,000 extra children, an increase of more than 60 per cent, are now receiving intensive support through child protection plans than eight years ago.
 
"These pressures have left challenging choices elsewhere, and this report highlights some of the difficult decisions councils are forced to make every day.

“There are no easy choices as councils try to balance the immediate need to safeguard a child with the clear benefits that can come later from investment in vital support services and early intervention. It is increasingly difficult to do both at a time of falling budgets and rising demand.”