Foster carer concern

Chief social worker speaks to the Tele about caring for 9,000

dundee’s social work chief has praised the efforts carried out in the city over the last year, but said a shortage of foster carers remained an issue.

Jane Martin sat down with the Tele to discuss her report on her department’s work with the city’s most vulnerable during 2016/17.

Ms Martin, who has been chief social work officer for two years and head of service since 2004, said progress had been made in the city, which she hoped her report would convey.

She said: “I hope the report gives readers an idea of the scale of social work across the city and the amount of work that is done with vulnerable people, day in and day out, often in difficult situations.

“At any one time we are working with about 9,000 service users, 550 looked-after children, 70 on the Child Protection Register (CPR), over 40,000 hours of unpaid work in the justice system, and just under 3,000 people receiving home care.

“It’s a big, diverse service, and people often lose sight of that.”

Among this year’s achievements is a fall in community payback orders being issued, and a rise in the number of orders being completed without re-offending. The amount of time a child spends on the CPR is falling, and parity has been achieved for payments to kinship carers — relatives looking after children who can’t live at home — and foster carers.

However, Ms Martin said the city doesn’t have enough foster carers.

She added: “A lot of the time, they are what makes a difference to a lot of our young people.

“A shortage of foster carers who will look after large sibling groups, adolescents and children with a disability is a national issue.

“Our experience is that the best

Jane Martin, main picture, spoke about issues in children’s services and community justice.