Care getting worse?

The care children receive from some private fostering companies is getting worse, despite claims they would improve care, industry experts have said.

Meanwhile, others have spoken out about problems in local authorities which mean some placements are set up to fail.

Initially private agencies were thought to boost care because they were smaller and less bureaucratic than local authorities.

But some believe increasingly large agencies are replicating the problems of local authorities.

Grace Wyatt, director of private fostering agency Nexus Fostering, said:

“Because of the size they are getting to [some agencies] are becoming more like local authorities, and I am not sure how effective that is.”

Neil Loader of Five Rivers Fostering goes further, saying the quality of care is going down:

"In some, but not all, big agencies the care has got worse in recent years. Bigger companies,
bigger caseloads, higher staff turnover, earn a quick buck and get out.”

None of the country’s biggest private foster care
agencies would speak to this website on these issues.

There are also claims of problems with the care offered by local authorities.

Jenny Bigmore, a registered social worker and lecturer at Bournemouth University says insufficent resources have an impact on the care children recieve.

Click the video to hear her views about local
authorities in general.

But local councils insist they do their best and place with independent agencies when appropriate.

Graham Senior, family placement team manager
at Swindon Borough Council said:

"We have entered into agreements with a number of independent providers to provide particular types of carers.

"We have a peaceful co-existance with indepdent providers."

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