Foster carer scheme approved

A NEW employment scheme has been approved by Dumfries and Galloway Council in an attempt to address the chronic shortage of foster carers in the region.

Councillors last week rubber-stamped a new policy giving any employee foster carers paid leave and flexible working rights.

The Fostering Friendly Policy was approved at the enabling and customer services committee, with council leader Stephen Thompson hopeful it will make a difference in the lives of children locally.

The local authority employs just over 6500 people, and this policy entitles council workers who foster or provide kinship care to up to ten days paid leave per year for fostering-related commitments, including training, reviews, meetings and settling-in periods. They will also have a day-one right to request flexible working arrangements such as reduced hours, hybrid working or term-time contracts.

Stewart Clanachan, the council’s human resources manager, said: “I think this is a really positive policy development and one that will make a difference to our young people.”

Lochar Councillor Ivor Hyslop welcomed the policy, saying. “I think it’s something that we need to be doing. We have children out there who would benefit from this and hopefully we can find some more foster carers because I think there has been a significant drop in the number.”

Council leader Stephen Thompson also welcomed the development and asked how progress would be monitored.

Stewart Clanachan replied: “We’ll keep this visible through our annual workforce reporting, and that will identify where the policy is having success, where people are putting their hand up and hopefully coming forward and becoming foster carers.

“We do have our three-year policy review cycle as well, but I think in between that we’d like to bring this forward for members usually each November within an annual workforce report.”

The council currently has 29 children in external foster placements outside the region at a projected cost of £1.7 million for 2026/27.

Officers have argued the new policy could help reduce reliance on these more costly options by growing the number of in-house foster carers.