Future of foster care: consultation analysis – updated final report

2. Vision for Foster Care

The consultation paper sets out the strategic journey for foster care in Scotland so far. It notes that there are currently over 3,000 foster families providing children and young people with an alternative, safe, nurturing and loving home. These foster carers work as part of the ‘team around the child’, which forms the scaffolding that is responsible for the wellbeing and development of the child or young person.

The paper highlights current challenges for foster care, including wider workforce issues. While the number of children coming into care is decreasing, there is a shortfall in the number of foster carers needed to provide foster care. The paper reports a current shortfall of around 400 foster carers, an estimate provided by The Fostering Network. In addition, children's needs are increasingly diverse, with an increase in unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and those who have more complex needs and trauma.

The vision for foster care aims to reflect and embed the commitment to Keep the Promise and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, now implemented by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024. The consultation paper notes that the voices and experiences of children and young people, families, and foster carers are central to the vision and will continue to be part of ongoing conversations about how to deliver The Promise collectively.

The vision is set out on page 11 of the consultation paper as follows:

Our vision is for Scotland’s children to experience a flexible fostering approach which continually evolves to meet their specific and unique needs in a changing society and sector. This includes alternative family care, which prioritises children’s experiences, and embeds within it maintaining family time, supporting families and managing cultural differences or complex needs. It is underpinned by listening to the voice of children and young people, upholding their rights and ensuring they feel safe, loved and respected. We will improve the current fostering system and provide ongoing support for caregivers to develop their skills and knowledge, so they can nurture the children in their care, and play their part in delivering The Promise.

Q1. What are your views on our vision for foster care?

Almost nine in ten of all respondents provided a comment at Q1. Positive comments about the vision were most prevalent, followed by concerns. Comments on specific elements of the vision were also commonly made, such as on the flexible approach, how to improve current fostering arrangements or alternative family care arrangements.

Positive views on the vision

The vision was positively received by many respondents, two thirds of whom were organisations. Comments included that the vision was welcomed, forward-thinking, and comprehensive. Several left comments suggesting the vision aligned with The Promise. It was felt that the vision captured the need for a flexible approach, that its aspirational message was helpful and that it provided a route map for the future of foster care.

“CELCIS welcomes the Scottish Government’s renewed approach to foster care and the creation of a vision for foster care could act as a ‘guiding star’ to the foster care sector.” – CELCIS

Concerns about the vision

Perceived issues with the vision were raised by many respondents, half of whom were organisations. Views included that the vision would be difficult to achieve as it did not recognise constraints in the system, such as a lack of personnel or legislative requirements, or that foster carers required more recognition or support to enable greater flexibility within their role (see ‘Improving support for carers’ below). Other comments indicated the vision was too long or not accessible for those outwith the sector. Specific suggested word changes to enable more positivity included using ‘strengthen’ instead of ‘improve’, or to avoid use of the word ‘managing’.

“It needs to be acknowledged that the regulations and standards that govern fostering at times creates barriers to the flexible approach. An example of this is when a relative of the foster carer wants to care for the child/ren overnight and this requires an assessment and approval process, which is in line with appropriate due diligence to safeguard children. There are challenges when asking foster carers networks to engage in an intrusive and timely process which is also resource-intensive for the fostering service. There needs to be a balance between safeguarding and bureaucracy if the vision for flexible fostering is to be achieved.” - North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership

“The vision would be strengthened further by ensuring there is a clear commitment to implementing existing duties and responsibilities. It must also include clearer reference to supporting foster carers and to addressing the current recruitment and retention challenges. It is critical that existing legislative duties around support to foster carers and children are met.” – The Promise Scotland

Comments on the ‘flexible approach’

Flexibility in fostering was highlighted by several respondents, with most endorsing a flexible approach to adequately meet the needs of families or to attract a diverse range of foster carers. A few noted that a flexible approach had already been adopted or raised concerns about such an approach, for instance, foster carers working in the homes of families or how a fostering household could effectively be maintained as part of a Step-up, Step-down model^[1]. These issues are more fully addressed in Q2 and Q3.

“As noted in the consultation paper, several elements of the ‘flexible’ approach set out have been tried and had some success. The question we need to be asking is why did they fall by the wayside? What were the barriers to continuing and developing them? As the Independent Care Review already acknowledged, the answer is staffing, resources and finances.” - UNISON Scotland

Suggestions for ‘improving the current fostering system’

Several respondents provided a range of suggestions for how to improve the current fostering system, referred to in the vision statement. These included addressing issues detailed in the consultation paper such as foster carer recruitment, training and support, the importance of meeting the needs of children and young people, improving systems and processes to address bureaucracy or delays and updating Care Inspectorate guidelines. Suggestions to better meet the needs of children included strengthening permanency arrangements such as long-term foster care placements, reducing placement disruptions, prioritising supporting children to remain at home and responding compassionately to behaviours that challenge. A few respondents queried what was meant by the phrase ‘improving the current fostering system’.

“The vision is not clear about what is meant by improving the current fostering system. Some improvements will require to be resourced as will providing ongoing support for caregivers to develop their skills and knowledge. We think the vision should include reference to the system being well resourced and ensuring that all stakeholders – children, caregivers, families - receive the right help at the right time.” - Scottish Adoption and Fostering

Comments on the underpinning principles

The underpinning principles for the vision - based on Getting it Right for Every Child, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and The Promise - were commented on by several respondents. These can be summarised as listening to the voice of the child, upholding rights and ensuring children are safe, loved and respected. These principles were welcomed, but respondents suggested more work was needed. Further work was suggested, for instance, to:

• ensure the principles were truly embedded in practice.
• ensure provision meets the unique needs of children.
• be more explicit about the need for consistent, loving relationships across the seven elements of flexible fostering.
• clarify that the needs of children should take priority over those of their parents, such as during direct contact with families.

Participants at an engagement event called for young people to be involved in decisions about which family is right for them, to be provided with honest and transparent information, for example, about how long a placement would last.

Other aspects the vision should cover

Ensuring adequate support for foster carers was reflected in the vision was recommended by several respondents. The importance of taking the views of foster carers seriously, addressing challenges and carer ‘burn out’ - such as by enabling access to short breaks for carers or ensuring support to allow foster carers to undertake their role effectively - were all raised.

Some respondents suggested further areas that should be included in the vision. These included paying attention to social workers’ role in supporting fostering, the need to provide whole family support to foster families including to kinship carers, embedding anti-racism approaches and highlighting the specific needs of those with disabilities.

The vision needs more detail

Some respondents felt the vision required more detail or was too vague. Areas where it was felt more specificity would be helpful included further defining roles and responsibilities of those involved in the fostering system and reflecting the diversity of carers when any role expectations are set. Others suggested the need for more detail around the meaning of ‘flexibility’ and ‘complex needs’, for concrete actions to accompany the vision, and to ensure families can clearly understand what they can expect from foster care.