Freedom of information response

1. How many individual children (not placements) were placed into mainstream foster care by the local authority over the past 12 months (or the most recent 12-month period that you're able to process)?

49

2. Of those, please confirm how many individual children (not placements) were placed with foster carers of independent fostering agencies.

11

3. What is the minimum, maximum and average weekly agency fee you have given to IFAs for individual children (not placements) placed as 'standard' placements?

IFA min = £600 pw,  Max = £994 pw & Avg = £813 pw

4. Of the independent fostering agencies used by the local authority, which company provides the most placements for individual children?

Commercially sensitive information.

5. What is the average weekly cost for in-house local authority provision for individual children placed as ‘standard’ placements?

£460 pw

6. For the financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 (so far):

6a. How many individual children were placed with foster carers of independent fostering agencies

11 (new as opposed to placement moves)

6b. How many individual children were placed with in-house/council-registered foster carers

38 (new as opposed to placement moves)

6c. What is your annual spend on: in-house fostering, independent fostering agencies, residential children’s homes?

The data for the previous years is not held.

7. What is the current average cost of a residential placement for an individual child with an IFA and what is the cost for a residential placement for an individual child with a council-registered provider?

IFAs don’t provide residential placements

We don’t have in house residential.