A recent Care Inspectorate report has raised major concerns with Orkney’s foster care service.
The report describes a fostering system with hard-working employees who are being let down by poor leadership. Carers are suffering from high levels of stress and anxiety, which is impacting the services provided, the report says.
The report, published this week, rated the council’s fostering service as either “weak” or “unsatisfactory” – the two lowest ratings – in all categories.
- Supporting people’s wellbeing – 2 (weak)
- Leadership – 1 (unsatisfactory)
- How good is the staff team – 2 (weak)
- Care and support planning – 1 (unsatisfactory)
An Orkney Islands Council spokesman said that staffing shortages are driving the issues raised in the ‘sobering’ report.
The report also found that the service had improved mental health services, but failed to address other issues from previous inspections.
Strong carers in a ‘broken’ system
The report included comments from foster families who work with the system. They painted a bleak picture of life for carers working in Orkney.
“Strengths are the individual social workers working in a system that is completely broken,” one said.
Others said that the high quality of personal service can’t make up for administrative and organisational pitfalls.
“We get a goodie bag every year,” one foster family said. “But this doesn’t make up for needing answers or not getting forms back signed, having to chase everything all the time.”
The Care Inspectorate report found that carers are dealing with added stress caused by a lack of support, little or no access to training and delays across the service.
The inspectorate also found that the service was not effectively tracking concerns or following through quickly enough with plans for children in care.
Orkney foster care staff overstretched?
The report praised staff for forming “genuine relationships with carers” and resolving challenging situations. But the report implied that staff, children and carers are suffering because staff are having to perform extra duties.
“The redeployment of staff away from the core task of the fostering service directly impacted on the quality and quantity of service provision.”
On Wednesday, Orkney Islands Council released a statement about the report’s findings.
“Clearly the outcome of the inspection is a sobering one – although it is not unexpected given the significant staffing crisis that we are facing, and the serious effect this is having on our ability to deliver services to the level that the people we support rightly expect.”
The spokesman added that the council will take time to review the report and address the required improvements.
Read more from the Schools and Family team
Interactive map: Where to see Santa in the north this Christmas
Conversation