Hillingdon Council is set to review its fostering services, aiming to enhance support and improve outcomes for children in care. The Children, Families and Education Select Committee will undertake the review, focusing on recruitment, retention, and overall effectiveness of the council's fostering provision. The review will consider support services for children in foster care including social work, health and education, and support services for foster carers (e.g. Mockingbird) including training, respite and financial packages.
The decision to review fostering services came during the committee's meeting on Thursday, 25 September 2025, where members agreed to a scoping report outlining the review's objectives and terms of reference. The review, titled Caring for Our Children: Enhancing Fostering Provision and Support
, will assess the impact of the new fostering offer in Hillingdon and identify areas for improvement. The review aims to assess the effectiveness of the new fostering offer in Hillingdon and explore opportunities for improvement through a focus on recruitment and retention; support for foster carers; and outcomes for children in care.
The terms of reference for the review include:
- Understanding the needs and experiences of children in foster care.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of current recruitment and retention strategies for foster carers. The review will address recruitment and retention challenges, particularly for carers of teenagers and children with complex needs, and the time needed to recruit new carers.
- Identifying barriers to fostering and opportunities for improvement.
- Formulating recommendations to strengthen Hillingdon's fostering provision.
The review will consider issues such as the national shortage of foster carers, recruitment and retention challenges, placement stability, and support services for foster carers and children in care. Key challenges currently faced by foster carers in Hillingdon also include limited awareness/ promotion of fostering opportunities, placement instability/ breakdowns, support and training for foster carers, and transition planning for children leaving care. It will also consider relevant legislation and guidance, including the Children Act 1989, the Children Act 2004, and the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011.
The review aims to ensure that the service is responsive, inclusive and aligned with Corporate Parenting responsibilities so that all children in care can live in stable, loving homes. The Draft Scoping Report states that the review will also assist in recruiting more foster carers; raising awareness of the benefits of fostering; and highlighting the positive outcomes it can have for young people.
The committee plans to gather evidence through various means, including:
- Analyzing data on foster carers and children in care, including demographics, placement types and stability.
- Examining recruitment and retention practices.
- Collecting feedback from foster carers and children in care.
- Benchmarking with other local authorities.
Potential witnesses include representatives from Children's Social Care, the Fostering Team, the Virtual School, and the Participation Team, as well as foster carers and care-experienced young people.
The committee has outlined a timeline for the review, with key milestones including:
- November 2025: Witness Session 1 - Understanding fostering in Hillingdon
- December 2025: Witness Session 2 (Private session) - Foster carer and young peoples' experiences/ best practices
- January 2026: Findings, conclusions and recommendations
- February 2026: Approval of final report
- March 2026: Target Cabinet reporting
The Work Programme shows that the Children, Families & Education Select Committee will meet again on 13 November 2025, 7 January 2026, 5 February 2026, 12 March 2026 and 14 April 2026.
The review's findings and recommendations will be presented to the Cabinet, who are responsible for the Council's policy and direction. The Select Committees directly engage residents in shaping policy and recommendations and the Committees seek to improve the way the Council provides services to residents.
