Tower Hamlets Council has officially joined a regional fostering service, aiming to enhance recruitment, assessment, and support for foster carers. The decision, approved by the council's Cabinet on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, signifies Tower Hamlets' continued participation in the Local Community Fostering (LCF) initiative, with Waltham Forest remaining as the lead authority.
This expansion is part of the Department for Education's 'Renewing Fostering' reforms and aims to create a comprehensive, end-to-end fostering recruitment and assessment service. The move to an end-to-end model is expected to boost efficiency, reduce the council's reliance on costly independent fostering agencies, and ensure continued access to government grant funding.
Councillor Faysal Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Life Chances, highlighted the significant benefits already observed from the LCF. Since May 2024, Tower Hamlets has received 354 enquiries, 81 expressions of interest, 49 initial visits, 20 assessments started, and 8 approvals through the LCF reporting period. The conversion rate from enquiry to initial visit has improved to 24.69%, a significant increase from 4.49% in 2023/24 before the LCF. Furthermore, the conversion rate from initial visit to Form F assessment now stands at 40%, compared to 17.39% in the previous year.
The previous approach focused primarily on recruitment activity. The proposed 'end-to-end' model expands this to encompass the assessment and approval process, which will be managed regionally. While Tower Hamlets will retain ultimate responsibility for decisions regarding foster carer approval and child placements, the regional arrangement is designed to provide quicker and more efficient assessment and approval processes. Tower Hamlets will continue to provide supervision, training, retention, and support for its approved foster carers through locally delivered services.
The report indicates significant financial benefits from reducing reliance on independent fostering agencies (IFAs). An in-house foster carer costs approximately £480–£500 per week, whereas IFA provision costs at least double that, around £1,300 per week. For the 8 children projected to be in foster placements in 2025-2026, this represents a forecast cost avoidance of £6,560 per week, or approximately £341,120 per annum, by using in-house provision instead of IFAs.
The expansion of the LCF hub into a full end-to-end fostering recruitment and assessment service is a requirement to meet Department for Education (DfE) 'Renewing Fostering' reforms and delivery deadlines by 30 September 2026. The DfE has made clear that authorities operating outside of this national hub programme will not have access to future national funding opportunities. Grant funding, up to £196,829, is explicitly linked to timely implementation of these minimum requirements.
The report states that the decisions about which foster carers are approved and which children go with which foster carers is absolutely down to our council. And we're not delegating that decision to anyone else.
Furthermore, it clarifies that Tower Hamlets will continue to provide the supervision, training, retention and support offer to its approved foster carers, ensuring carers remain supported through locally delivered services and relationships.
Tower Hamlets will also retain its authority and responsibility for determining which children become looked after, and will determine where children are placed. Oversight of children cared for by foster carers will continue through Tower Hamlets social workers and Independent Reviewing Officers.
HR implications include the extension of existing roles, the creation of a limited number of new posts, and potential changes to reporting lines. Staffing solutions are expected to include secondments, fixed-term appointments, and targeted recruitment, supported by early engagement with staff and recognised trade unions. There is no current assumption of compulsory redundancies. Only one small team in Tower Hamlets, comprising 1 Team Manager, 4 Social Workers, and 1 Community Engagement Officer, would be in scope for these changes.
The decision delegates authority to Steve Reddy, Corporate Director of Children's Services, in consultation with Richard Ennis, Corporate Director for Resources, to progress the expansion. This delegation is intended to allow for timely operational, financial, and service decisions, avoiding delays that could jeopardise delivery and funding.
