DISCOUNTS to council tax and leisure centres could be on the table in a bid to attract more people to become foster carers.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), councillor Stuart Carroll, lead member for adult social care and children’s services, said he and senior officers are looking at ways to “extend and expand” their offer to caretakers.

This could mean potential discounts to council tax, additional support, and money off for foster carers and families to go to leisure facilities operated by Leisure Focus.

According to Cllr Carroll, this plan is to entice more people who are thinking about becoming a carer but can’t because of circumstances, such as finances.

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He said: “One thing I’ve noticed when I started speaking to a number of people across the community and board, they don’t realise that they could be eligible to be a foster carer or there was a whole process already in place with a lot of support in the offer.

“We are going to see how we can go further to provide a much more holistic package of support to enable more people, should they wish to do so and their circumstances allow, to come forward to become foster carers themselves.”

The LDRS was also told children and young people, particularly vulnerable, in foster care have “better outcomes” than being put into placements, which comes with “high costs” to the Royal Borough.

Cllr Carroll explained: “We do believe there’s a cost-effectiveness argument because if we are having to rely on higher-cost placements and higher-cost care packages, that’s not an optimisable use of budgetary, financial, and staff resources.

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“What’s driving this, although there’s a clear economic and cost-effective rationale, is what’s the best in terms of outcome for children and young people and is driven by a very clear evidence base and set of experiences as described by many of our young people and youth ambassadors."

He added the Royal Borough has a “strong” pool of foster carers but are “pushing the envelope” as the lead member predicts an increase in the number of high-risk children and young people needing additional support nationally as a result of the pandemic.

Currently, the council and its partners have put out communications to start the ball rolling by putting out information on foster caring as well as dispelling myths on what it is and isn’t like.

Further details on the offers and precisely how much this would save the council are currently being ironed out but will be brought forward to cabinet in the coming months.