Funding for extra bedrooms latest initiative to help provide more local foster placements

Tomorrow (13 Dec), the Council’s Cabinet will decide whether to approve annual grant funding of £200,000 which can be used to create additional bedrooms in the homes of existing foster carers in Swindon so they can look after more of the Borough’s children.

Currently, more than 120 children and young people are living miles away from Swindon, separated from their family and friends because the Council is in desperate need of foster carers.

Forty-one per cent of these children were placed more than 20 miles away, as there are not enough carers in Swindon for them to stay in the town they call home.

Ten-year-old Max is one of those children. He was removed from his family after suffering neglect and physical aggression.

Max and his brother had to move more than 100 miles away from Swindon because there weren’t any local foster carers for them. Max’s needs are complex, and he requires therapeutic support. He’s now in a children’s home, living away from his brother. 

The grant will allow current foster carers to build extra bedrooms, providing them with additional room to foster more children within Swindon and house more siblings together.

This will contribute to the Council’s missions to Reduce Inequality, Build a Better Swindon, as well as, meeting the Children’s Social Care Improvement Plan objectives to increase the sufficiency of homes.

The idea is one already in use by other local authorities. It has been proved to be effective in both attracting and retaining foster carers, as well as, providing an increase in the number of the foster homes for children in care. This will go in hand with the Council’s current fostering recruitment campaign, which was launched in October.

Councillor Paul Dixon, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children's Social Care, said: “We are hoping that our current foster carers will be able to extend their homes, to help us keep children who are already experiencing difficult times, in their home town.

“Ensuring children who are in need of care, stay in Swindon is not only beneficial to them in keeping them in their local schools and close to their friends, it is also ensures the Council does not have to pay for expensive placements miles away from the Borough.”

If approved, the grant will add to the list of support council foster carers already receive. Earlier this year, the Council’s Cabinet agreed to increase the amount of funding foster carers receive, which can be as much as  £708 per child, per week, depending on the needs of the child and the carer’s skills. Comprehensive training is also provided.

Anyone who wants to find out more information about fostering in Swindon can head over to www.swindon.gov.uk/fostering or call our friendly team on 07917 503447.