To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution, which is available to view at the following link:
https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeID=151&Info=1&bcr=1
The deadline for the submission of a public question is 4 clear working days before the meeting.
The deadline for the submission of a public statement is midday the working day before the meeting.
The deadline for the submission of a petition is 10 working days before the meeting.
Minutes:
A public question had been received as follows:
“In light of the Ofsted recommendations, will you now be urgently reassessing the cases of children in BCP care to return them to birth families where possible (especially where the necessary early support was not given in the first place), do you agree that neurodivergent parents should receive any additional support, and do you feel that investing in such support would be better, especially for the children's long term needs, than opting to keep funding long term care costs?”
Received from Mr Tinsley. Address supplied.
Response:
Thank you very much for your question. Having read the OFSTED report and recommendations, along with your question, I very much appreciate the sentiment of the question but am not sure precisely which Ofsted recommendations it refers. I will, however, endeavour to give you the fullest possible answer to each of your points:
Will you now be urgently reassessing the cases of children in BCP care to return them to birth families where possible?
This is a complex question to answer because children who are in care and adopted children are subject to different legal arrangements. I will answer the question by explaining the different nature of this arrangements and separately answer the question of urgent review.
I would like to assure you that BCP endeavours to support all children to remain with their birth families wherever that is safe and possible. If it is not in the best interests of the child for example where there is abuse or the child’s needs cannot be met by their parents, we seek for alternative forms of care for the child our first consideration being wider family or friends.
46% of the children who entered care in BCP care last year returned home. A further 20% of the children who came into care in BCP last year went to live with wider family and friends caring for the child as a foster carer or under a Special Guardianship arrangement.
For children who cannot return home or to their wider families BCP has a duty to secure children a permanent and safe home to adulthood and beyond. Some children are fostered under a section 20 arrangement where birth parents share parental responsibility with the local authority, others are made subject to care order where the local authority holds parental responsibility. A care order is made by a judge who will carefully consider the ability of parents and wider family to care for the child prior to the making of the order.
Under both of these legal arrangements BCP is required to encourage contact with birth family wherever that is safe to do so. There is a statutory meeting every 6 month which considers the views of all those involved with the child including birth family the child and professionals. The meeting considers contact and whether the plan should be for the child to remain in foster care. It is possible for a child to return home on a care order and for the care order to be revoked where the parent has shown that they can provide a safe and secure home for the child.
An adoption order is different. It is made where it is believed by the council and the judge that parents are unable to make the changes necessary to safely care for the child within a reasonable timescale for that child. Unlike other orders an adoption order, is permanent. Although contact with birth parents is agreed as part of the adoption order support plan parental responsibility reverts to the adopters and cannot be reviewed.
Will BCP urgently reassess cases returning to birth family where possible
Other than where children are adopted the potential for that child to return home safely remains under review and is formally considered every 6 months. Most children return to their birth families quickly. As explained above 66% of children who came into care in 20/21 returned within the year to parents or wider family. In some instances this may take longer than a year. In 2020 to 2021, 25% of children left BCP care to return to their parents or birth families.
Do you agree that neurodivergent parents should receive any additional support do you feel that investing in such support would be better, especially for the children's long-term needs, than opting to keep funding long term care costs?”
We seek to offer all parents additional support to keep children at home. BCP accepts that it is on a journey to ensure that all children with additional needs access high quality assessments and coordinated support. BCP children’s services and their partners have been working on plans to develop the range of support that can be offered to families.
Where parents have additional needs such as neurodiversity, services access specialist advice and support from within adult and children’s services and would support parents to access specialist services as appropriate.
The funding of long-term care costs
As previously stated, BCP would always prefer to support children to remain with their families but must also support those children who cannot remain at home.
Councillor Richard Burton
Chair, Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.