sight of the check (previously the local authority received notification when a DBS was issued). Priority has been given to local young people, private arrangements for individual international students and to students placed with previously unknown host families. Further priority has been given to the younger students (some as young as 11). As in previous years summer school students at language schools, most of whom were here for stays of 4-6 weeks, were visited once only at the school. Good liaison has been maintained with organisations, who generally report concerns promptly regarding people. The service is currently staffed by one part-time worker, supported by other social workers within the Fostering Service, with a ‘whole-team approach’ during busy periods. There is also a fostering social worker with specific responsibility for local privately fostered young people. The lead worker is about to retire and plans are afoot for changes within the team. The Fostering Service has welcomed social work students into the team, all of whom have been given the opportunity to work with privately fostered young people and their caers. THE COMING YEAR It is anticipated that numbers of new private fostering arrangements will remain broadly similar to recent years with no reports of any significant increases or decreases in numbers. Notifications from language schools are uncertain but likely to remain largely confined to the summer months. One local language school has recently decided to expand their business in order to accommodate under 16’s, an area in which they have not previously been involved. Referrals in respect of other young people, including local youngsters and international students here through private arrangements, are likely to remain relatively low and this mirrors the national picture, where very few local authorities have seen high numbers other than for international students. Local young people continue to remain a priority, as they are frequently vulnerable with parents either unavailable or unwilling to engage and we are aware that there may be because people are unaware of the notification requirements. These same young people are frequently on the periphery of care and in fact, it is ot uncommon for such young people to become accommodated. In Torbay, two local young people were subsequently accommodated this year. Assessments in relation to these young people are frequently complex and involve assessments of risk. Priority was given to raising awareness amongst health, education, probation service, police and social care professionals in order to ensure there is proper reporting of all private fostering arrangements.
sight of the check (previously the local authority received notification when a DBS was issued). Priority has been given to local young people, private arrangements for individual international students and to students placed with previously unknown host families. Further priority has been given to the younger students (some as young as 11). As in previous years summer school students at language schools, most of whom were here for stays of 4-6 weeks, were visited once only at the school. Good liaison has been maintained with organisations, who generally report concerns promptly regarding people. The service is currently staffed by one part-time worker, supported by other social workers within the Fostering Service, with a ‘whole-team approach’ during busy periods. There is also a fostering social worker with specific responsibility for local privately fostered young people. The lead worker is about to retire and plans are afoot for changes within the team. The Fostering Service has welcomed social work students into the team, all of whom have been given the opportunity to work with privately fostered young people and their caers. THE COMING YEAR It is anticipated that numbers of new private fostering arrangements will remain broadly similar to recent years with no reports of any significant increases or decreases in numbers. Notifications from language schools are uncertain but likely to remain largely confined to the summer months. One local language school has recently decided to expand their business in order to accommodate under 16’s, an area in which they have not previously been involved. Referrals in respect of other young people, including local youngsters and international students here through private arrangements, are likely to remain relatively low and this mirrors the national picture, where very few local authorities have seen high numbers other than for international students. Local young people continue to remain a priority, as they are frequently vulnerable with parents either unavailable or unwilling to engage and we are aware that there may be because people are unaware of the notification requirements. These same young people are frequently on the periphery of care and in fact, it is ot uncommon for such young people to become accommodated. In Torbay, two local young people were subsequently accommodated this year. Assessments in relation to these young people are frequently complex and involve assessments of risk. Priority was given to raising awareness amongst health, education, probation service, police and social care professionals in order to ensure there is proper reporting of all private fostering arrangements.
torbay-private-fostering-annual-report-2015-16.docx