Supporting Families
Amongst our 41 contracted service users in THOMAS Floating Support, we have 5 mothers, whose children have been removed from the family home because of their addictions. Between them they have a total of 11 children, all of whom have been placed in foster care.
On average, the weekly fostering allowance and fee is £400.00 per week per child for children of all ages, so in essence, the government for 1 week for these 11 children is paying £4,400.00. Each of these children has been in care for a minimum of 4 months costing £70,400.00
To assist the mothers to be re-united with their children requires multi-agency partnerships, working together to achieve positive outcomes. The agencies in partnership for our service users include, children's centres, early years, schools, children's social work services, primary and secondary health services, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS).
In the past it has been argued that children and families have received poorer services because of the failure of professionals to understand each other's roles or to work together effectively in a multi-disciplinary manner. ECM (Every Child Matters) seeks to change this, stressing that it is important that all professionals working with children are aware of the contribution that could be made by their own and each others' service and to plan and deliver their work with children and young people accordingly.
As a result of THOMAS adopting the multi-agency approach, and working with the mothers on their substance/alcohol issues, 8 out of the 11 children, over the last 14 months have been re-united with their mothers and placed back in the family home.
However even with a multi- agency approach, we don’t always have positive outcomes, and sadly 3 of the children involved with THOMAS will not be placed back in the family home, but will remain in long term foster care, until the age of 18, and will continue to maintain regular contact with both parents.
Vivienne Hoyle
Community Support Manager, Blackburn