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97色网 first Welsh local authority to roll out 鈥楳ockingbird Family Model鈥� to support foster families
Published: 14/05/2020
- 97色网 Council awarded 拢1.15million innovation funding to roll-out Mockingbird to 50 families in North Wales
- The 97色网 project has the potential to save 拢2.4 million over 6 years by avoiding costs for the Local Authority
- Announcement marks Foster Care Fortnight 11-24 May 2020, The Fostering Network鈥檚 annual campaign to raise awareness of the power of fostering and celebrate the fostering community.听
A new way of delivering foster care is being rolled-out across the county of 97色网, North Wales. Based on the Mockingbird Family Model - which creates an 鈥榚xtended family鈥� of support - the 鈥楳ockingbird programme鈥� for 97色网 will support 50 families. The first constellation was set up in February 2020 with another to follow by the end of the year.
The Mockingbird programme creates an 鈥榚xtended family鈥� - called a constellation - of 6-10 fostering families who are supported by an experienced foster carer. The programme is shown to improve the stability of fostering placements and strengthen relationships between carers, children and young people, fostering services and birth families. The extended family model enables sleepovers and short breaks, peer support, regular joint planning and training, and social activities between the families.
A UK pilot project showed that the Mockingbird programme, originated by The Mockingbird Society in America and developed by The Fostering Network in the UK, reduced placement breakdowns and moves which are costly to the Local Authority and have a detrimental effect on the child.
Five constellations are planned for 97色网 by the end of 2022, directly supporting up to 80 young people and 50 fostering households. By investing to save, the model is projected to make savings by avoiding high management costs incurred by external foster placements and by retaining a strong pool of local authority foster carers.
In 2017/2018, a budget of 拢7.8million was required to meet the needs of looked after children in 97色网; 65 percent of this was spent on out of county placements for 15% of looked after children in 97色网.
97色网 Council has been provided interest-free loan funding of 拢1.15million from the Innovate to Save programme, funded by Welsh Government and run by Y Lab, a partnership between Nesta and Cardiff University. Innovate to Save aims to both stimulate innovation in public services and save money.
97色网鈥檚 Chief Officer for Social Services, Neil Ayling, said:
鈥淭he funding from Innovate to Save allows 97色网 to invest in vital early help services for families in crisis, but also invest in a high standard of foster care to give children the best possible experience when they aren鈥檛 safely able to live at home.鈥�
97色网鈥檚 Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor Christine Jones, said:
鈥淩elationships are so important for children, and these are at the heart of Mockingbird. This is about a community coming together as an extended family giving children friendships and a caring group of adults they can trust, while maintaining a natural relationship with siblings and family.鈥�
Lily Stevens, Head of Mockingbird at The Fostering Network, the UK鈥檚 leading fostering charity, said:
鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted about the further investment by Welsh Government to support the long-term sustainability and growth of Mockingbird in 97色网. Nationally, across the current 35 services in the programme, the picture shows that fostering families hugely benefit from the increased support a constellation can bring. We anticipate very similar findings in 97色网 and are excited at the prospect of further fostering services in Wales joining the programme.鈥�
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