Bath & North East Somerset Council’s fostering service has been
described as “outstanding” in an important inspection. The Ofsted
inspection report gives the Council’s service the highest possible
ratings across a range of measures.
The report states: “The service is managed by experienced and
professionally qualified staff who support and train foster carers
to a high level to ensure that young people are safe and well cared
for. The educational, activity and leisure provision and the
advocacy elements of the service are particularly outstanding.”
There are 85 foster families who work with Bath & North East
Somerset Council’s fostering service, providing placements for 126
children and 35 respite care family placements for disabled
children. The Council is always keen to recruit more foster
carers and is encouraging anyone interested to get in touch. It
welcomes applications from people who are single, co-habiting or
married.
The amount of time a carer can offer to the service depends on
individual circumstances – people can make a real difference by
offering just a few hours a week, caring for a young person once a
month or offering a full-time placement to one or more
children.
For more detailed information visit www.bathnes.gov.uk, or contact the
Council on 01225 394949, email fpt_duty@bathnes.gov.uk
or write to PO Box 3343, Bath, BA1 2ZH.
Councillor Chris Watt ,Cabinet Member for Children’s Services,
said: “This is excellent news. Foster carers across the district
provide an important lifeline for vulnerable children and young
people in their times of need. This inspection not only recognises
the dedication of the foster carers, it also indicates the very
high standards in the support and organisation provided by Bath
& North East Somerset Council officers.”
The Council’s Family Placement Team manages the fostering
service and is responsible for recruitment, assessment, support,
supervision and training of foster carers. The range of services
provided by the team includes; emergency and respite placements,
short-term placements preparing children for a return to their
family or for adoption, placements for sibling groups, short breaks
for disabled children and young people and long term placements.
This is the first year that the inspection of the service has
been carried out by Ofsted, it was formerly the responsibility of
the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). The previous CSCI
inspection also awarded the Council’s foster care service with the
highest ranking.
