Family Assessment (Parent & Child) Service Review Outcome

d) Interviews with a sample of parents who had experience of being assessed by anindependent fostering provider and an independent residential providere) Multi-agency meetings (16 th January 2012, 27 th February and 21 st March),independently chaired by Ethna Bashford, Lead Officer for Children & Families,Somerset Community Healthf) Discussion with Unison representativesg) Presentation to Corporate Parenting Group on 12 th March 2012 and presentationsent to Opposition Deputy Alvin Horsfall and Interested Member Claire Gordon.The overall message from this is that assessment by placement with a foster carer is therecommended option. Social workers would also welcome the opportunity to use morecommunity based assessment if available. It was acknowledged that a small percentageof parents will continue to need a residential facility where for example drug testing andclosed-circuit television facilities are necessary.Costs of Current ProvisionEven with the development of the Somerset County Council fostering scheme in 2010 thecosts have been rising significantly continuing to place pressure on the budget with costsincreasing from £691,874 in 2008/09 to £2,580,072 in 2011/12. If this trend were tocontinue costs in 2013/14 would equate to £3,675,000 against a current budget of£2,236,200, a pressure of £1,438,800.Family Assessment Service Review – Outline Business Case Page 5 of 20 vs. 2.0 15.6.12