15% uplift to foster carer pay proposed in transformation programme for council foster carers
Foster carers in Norfolk are set to benefit from a 15% uplift in their pay, as Norfolk County Council looks to invest £1.5m annually in its fostering service in a bid to support more children in care to live with families.
Norfolk's Cabinet will meet on Monday 26 January to discuss the proposal, which is part of a three-year transformation programme aimed at recognising the contribution of foster carers and the vital role they play in supporting children in care to flourish.
The proposals include:
- A 15% uplift in fees for mainstream and kinship carers
- Additional uplifts for mainstream carers looking after children aged 10 and older
- Greater rewards for long service
- An expanded therapeutic support team
- Enhanced practical support
The proposals follow extensive engagement with carers as part of efforts to improve support and recruit more carers.
There is a national shortage of foster carers, including in Norfolk where there are several children currently living in residential care who could thrive with a fostering family. Research shows that living in a family environment is less traumatic and results in a much better outcome for a child in care. It also reduces costs for the local authority. A residential care placement in Norfolk costs nearly £300,000 per year, compared with £45,000 per year for a foster home.
Cllr Penny Carpenter, Cabinet Member for Children's Services said: "Last year we held several engagement sessions with our essential and highly valued foster carers to find out what we could do better and how we could improve support. These proposals address a range of challenges raised by our foster carers and will help children in care to flourish.
"This investment covering finances as well as therapeutic and practical support recognises the significant contribution our carers make. We hope it will help us to retain and recruit the carers our children need. I know carers aren't motivated by money, but this increase recognises how crucial they are. Family life has changed, and we have to ensure our carers have both the financial and practical support they need."
Norfolk Fostering Service is also proposing an innovative expansion to its therapeutic support offer to include more clinicians, specialist training and enhanced support for foster carers in their first two years of work, plus support for any fostering family any time it is needed. The recruitment of carer support workers and provision of bespoke support for specialist foster carer is also included in the proposals, as well as improvements to the long service recognition scheme.
An average of 5 children per week come into care in Norfolk. The council has a network of around 300 fostering households who look after children ranging in age from babies to young adults. Coming into care is a traumatic experience for children, who can need extra support to thrive. Each foster carer receives extensive training and has access to support staff 24/7.
It is hoped that this transformation programme providing additional pay and support for foster and kinship carers will encourage stability and reduce financial worries, and attract more people into fostering so that more family homes can be made available to children who come into care.
