Please can you provide me with information regarding the number of Looked After Children you currently have placed with, in house Foster Carers, and how many with IFA’s for 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17.
The information for 2013 – 2017 is on the table below.
Out of these placements how many were mainstream and how many were therapeutic.
To identify which placements included therapy would require a manual review of approximately 1200 placements over the four year period to confirm if therapy was included or not. If each one took a minimum of one minute that would be a total of 20 hours, which would exceed the 18 hour limit specified under the Freedom of Information 2000 Section 12 – Cost of Compliance. Therefore this information is exempt.
What was the average weekly cost of a mainstream placement with an IFA?
| Financial Year | Average weekly cost £ |
| 2013 – 2014 | 850 |
| 2014 – 2015 | 880 |
| 2015 – 2016 | 871 |
| 2016 – 2017 | 861 |
The above figures do not include costs for Parent & Child placements or incidental costs that were incurred by us on behalf of the child that were not part of the payment to the Independent Fostering Agency, (IFA) for example, copy birth certificates.
Averages have been calculated by taking total spend on IFA placements and dividing by recorded bed usage.
Additional information is provided in Fostering Rates and Allowances 2017 – 2018
What was the average weekly cost of a therapeutic placement with an IFA?
The costs of therapeutic and non-therapeutic placements are not recorded separately. To identify this information would require a manual review of approximately 1200 placements over the four year period to confirm if therapy was included or not. If each one took a minimum of one minute that would be a total of 20 hours, which would exceed the 18 hour limit specified under the Freedom of Information 2000 Section 12 – Cost of Compliance. Therefore this information is exempt.
What additional fees are charged in placing a young person with an IFA?
This can be for extra support costs – support worker
Increase in staffing from 1:1 to 2:1 staff etc
Extra respite costs
Complex fee costs
Therapeutic costs
Assessment costs C&P
24/7 monitoring C&P
Extra supervision from agency costs
Out of school extra fee
Education provision – home tutor
Supervising contacts and reports costs
The fees are outlined in the tender in progress on Supplying the South West
How are IFA’s selected for use by the local authority for placements?
There is a tender process in progress at the moment on Supplying the South West