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Fostering team awarded funding

Published: 15/11/2018

Flintshire County Council’s fostering team has been awarded research and development funding through Innovate to Save.

Innovate to Save is a programme managed by Y Lab, the Public Services Innovation Lab for Wales, (a partnership between Nesta and Cardiff University) and funded by Welsh Government.  It is a blended programme of financial and non-financial support that aims to support innovative ideas, improve public services and create savings for public services. 

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor Christine Jones, said:

“We have been awarded £30,000 from Innovate to Save for research and development, alongside a package of non-financial support from Y Lab.  This means we can test a Mockingbird ‘constellation’ fostering hub with peer support, regular sleepovers and combined social activities for foster carers and their families.

“The funding will give us time and space to test an idea to improve our service for foster carers and looked after children whilst potentially saving money by reducing the use of expensive external foster placements." 

The Fostering Network’s Mockingbird™ programme is an innovative method of delivering foster care using an extended family model which provides respite care, peer support, regular joint planning and training, and social activities.

The programme improves the stability of fostering placements and strengthens the relationships between carers, children and young people, fostering services and birth families.

You can find out more information about Innovate to Save here: https://www.nesta.org.uk/project/innovate-save/