Hopes changes will tackle foster carer shortage

COUNCIL employees who are also foster carers are set to benefit from paid leave and flexible working rights.

The local authority is preparing to introduce changes to help tackle a significant shortage of foster carers across the region.

It is expected councillors will next week approve the new Fostering Friendly Policy, writes Marc McLean.

Under the proposals, council employees who foster or provide kinship care would be entitled to up to ten days paid leave per year for fostering-related commitments, including training, reviews, meetings and settling-in periods.

They would also have a day-one right to request flexible working such as reduced hours, hybrid working or term-time contracts.

The policy has been drawn up by the council’s HR team in consultation with social work services, trade unions and employees with experience of fostering.

The council employs around 6500 people, and officers say they’re a valuable pool of potential foster carers.

In a report, human resources manager Stewart Clanachan states: “There is a significant shortage of foster carers, with many leaving within five years.”

He hopes that by offering better support, the council can “increase in-house fostering capacity, reduce expensive out-of-area placements, and deliver better outcomes for children.”

The financial case for the policy is also made clearly. The council currently has 24 children in residential care at a projected cost of £8.5 million for 2026/27, and 29 children outside the region in external fostering placements at a further projected cost of £1.7 million.

Bringing more children into local foster placements would reduce reliance on these costly options.

The report states that local placements “provide children with stronger continuity, reduced disruption, and a greater sense of identity and belonging.”