Research shows 9,000 new fostering families are needed over the coming year, and councils can help with recruitment
In May, the Fostering Network forecast that 9,000 new fostering families would be needed over the coming year and in January the Department for Education estimated that 4,600 children were waiting for adoption in March 2012.
Through various initiatives, central and local government have made some positive progress in this area and in April the association of directors of children's services pointed to a 45% increase in adoption placements over the year to March 2013.
However, the reality is that the number of children requiring foster care or adoption continues to grow and budgets continue to shrink. The government's recent one-off £150m adoption reform grant is clearly helping to reduce the adoption "backlog" this year, but what of next year and thereafter? How can councils find enough placements to provide for children in the future?
I believe the answer lies in recognising the "customer" aspect of fostering and adoption services and reforming the service accordingly. In other words, services must become better at knowing what turns a prospective foster carer or adopter on or off and responding to those needs.
After doing work with a number of councils, the Department for Education and the Fostering Network, I am convinced things are now moving in the right direction.
What we've done
The relationship between fostering and adoption teams and those applying and approved to be foster carers or adopters is a deeply human one, with a unique and complex mix of compliance, assurance and customer service. Improving these relationships is central to finding more loving homes for vulnerable children.
To aid this, we help teams understand what their current and future foster carers and adopters want and their values. We surveyed foster carers, asking questions like: are you looking for rules and belonging, for example? Or outward indicators of success? Or do you have another goal?
We use a values segmentation system, a way of categorising groups according to their values, to show what motivations are driving these customers and how they are best engaged. When this is combined with local feedback about a service, it is hugely powerful.
Our findings
During our research, we found that up to 80% of foster carers we spoke to – compared to a national average of 40% – have a specific set of common values which is characterised by the need and confidence to help the local community.
They want to help recruit and support other foster carers for instance. What they value most highly is advocacy and support from other foster carers. Pioneers don't want a big book to read or an impersonal edict to follow, they look for questions and discussion. A lot of them believe they can cope with whatever comes their way.
This tells us much about how services can attract and support these people. Since then, colleagues in local government have been working hard to turn this insight into practical improvements.
From recruitment methods and messages to the way in which support is provided, this simple piece of insight helps provide a completely new perspective on how to allocate resources.
Our message
The government's analysis of the adoption challenge includes a specific reference to gaining greater "customer insight" and these findings demonstrate what an opportunity this presents.
Whitehall has set out clear expectations on the nature and scale of change needed in adoption and has provided funding to support it. It is now up to councils to take up the challenge and reach out for new and different thinking. I believe this must start with a better understanding of customers and will only end with improved relationships.
Jeremy Cooper is director at Impower.
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