Can I please request the following information:
1. How many individual children (not placements) were placed into mainstream foster care by the local authority over the past 12 months (or the most recent 12-month period that you’re able to process)?
There were 374 unique children (not placements) placed within mainstream fostering placements between 08/03/2023 to 07/03/2024.
We have taken this to be that the child moved into that placement within that period and are excluding placement where the child had already moved in before the 08/03/2023.
2. Of those, please confirm how many individual children (not placements) were placed with foster carers of independent fostering agencies.
92 of the 374 children above were placed at some point with foster carers approved by independent fostering agencies. 26 of these 92 were also placed in an in-house fostering placements within the year.
3. What is the minimum, maximum and average weekly agency fee you have given to IFAs for individual children (not placements) placed as ‘standard’ placements?
| IFA standard agency fee | Amount |
| Minimum weekly | £770.93 |
| Maximum weekly | £1049.57 |
| Average weekly | £913.94 |
4. Of the independent fostering agencies used by the local authority, which company provides the most placements for individual children?
As of February 2024, this is Five Rivers Foster Care.
5. What is the average weekly cost for in-house local authority provision for individual children placed as ‘standard’ placements?
£334.95.
6. For the financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 (so far):
6a. How many individual children were placed with foster carers of independent fostering agencies?
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 so far | |
| External | 159 | 140 | 167 | 154 | 249 | 171 |
6b. How many individual children were placed with in-house/council-registered foster carers?
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 so far | |
| In House | 474 | 489 | 494 | 305 | 658 | 463 |
6c. What is your annual spend on: in-house fostering, independent fostering agencies, residential children’s homes?
| 2023/24 to date | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | 2018-19 | |
| In house Fostering | £10,400,533 | £11,385,087 | £11,267,100 | £11,488,094 | £10,202,200 | £7,925,717 |
| Independent Fostering | £7,883,017 | £7,786,688 | £8,667,243 | £7,605,287 | £7,021,817 | £6,749,995 |
| Independent Residential | £21,039,466 | £20,887,548 | £17,053,967 | £15,453,332 | £12,327,103 | £9,775,227 |
| In house Residential | £463,802 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
7. What is the current average cost of a residential placement for an individual child with an IFA and what is the cost for a residential placement for an individual child with a council-registered provider?
| Current weekly average | |
| Independent Residential | £6,636 |
| In house Residential | £6,118 |