PLEA FOR FOSTER CARERS IN COV

A ‘SIGNIFICANT number’ of foster carers are needed in Coventry to meet demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

There are 556 children in foster care in Coventry - 125 placed with family or friend foster carers, 157 in care provided by private agencies, and 274 within local authority foster care.

But since the pandemic, the number of foster carers available for placements in Coventry has dropped.

There were calls for more foster carers in Coventry at the start of the pandemic, mirroring national concern and warnings from charities that Covid-19 risked a ‘looming crisis’ in the sector.

At the time Coventry City Council said there were particular problems as a number of foster carers fell into shielding categories.

Almost a year on, shortages nationally and in Coventry still remain.

Speaking at an education scrutiny board meeting, director of children’s services John Gregg said: “There continues to be a national shortage of foster carers.

“Despite the significant progress we have made in Coventry we are still in a position where we still need a significant number of foster carers to meet the demand that we have locally.

“Through the pandemic what we saw was a number of foster carers choosing to not take new placements so the supply of foster carers was somewhat reduced in terms of availability that was a struggle and a challenge.”

As a result of the shortage in foster carers, Mr Gregg said some children have gone into children’s homes instead.

He said: “The arrangements we have in Coventry meant there was no child that could not be placed, but the demand on placements nationally meant that some children ended up in children’s home placements due to availability when actually an assessment of need would suggest that the care plan for those children should have been foster care.

“We have a small piece of work underway to reassess whether those placements remain appropriate and as foster carers continue to come back on stream we are seeking whether or not their longterm needs are better me in foster care.”

Mr Gregg admitted placement availability in children’s homes also shrank “because some providers took the view they wouldn’t admit children” during the pandemic.

“It was further complicated by circumstances where children had absconded, had been missing or nearly entering care and their circumstances prior to admission or when they were missing could not be validated,” he added.

“There was some concern about whether or not they could potentially have Covid and be bringing that into the home.”

The city council has appealed for more foster carers to come forward.

For more information visit www.coventry.gov.uk/foster.