Foster care survey: a short feasibility study 

Funder

Department for Education and Skills

Background

In 2003, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) undertook a feasibility study to determine what information on foster carers could routinely be collected. The survey encountered difficulties and ONS recommended that a further study be carried out. This follow-up study explored the feasibility of collecting reliable data from local authorities to describe and partially quantify the foster care services they provide, and the households which supply foster care places.

Aims

The study aimed to produce a questionnaire for the DfES to use routinely in order to collect consistent national statistics on foster care. These will assist local authorities in England in the planning, management and commissioning of foster care services.

Methods

Two ndraft questionnaires were compiled and sent to 10 local authorities. Telephone interviews were then conducted with key staff to explore issues relating to the collection and use of statistics on foster care, in addition to the viability and usefulness of the new draft questionnaire and guidance. Second drafts were then prepared and piloted in fieldwork authorities, followed by the creation of final versions.

Key findings

• Categories of foster care and organisation of foster care services differ between authorities, making information collation more difficult.
• Short break care is different to foster care.
• It is difficult to count filled foster care places and vacancies.
• Information collected by an annual return will be more useful and easier to interpret if a baseline survey is carried out first, to determine details of the organisation and management of the authorities’ foster care services.
• Participating local authorities welcomed the attempt to provide a uniform framework for gathering information on foster care and believed it would be useful to assist management, commissioning and planning.

Implications for policy and practice

Questionnaires and guidance developed by this study provide the basis for establishing regular data collection on foster care services in England.

Publications

Research team

Professor Harriet Ward, Mike Gatehouse (CCFR), Dina Poursinadou.