Ms Catherine Bond:

Foster carers need supports in order to remain fostering. They need timely supports when they ask for them. There is no point, when foster carers say that their child is climbing up the wall and they do not know what to do, to have somebody say that there is no social worker to go out to them. We see dual social-worker allocation in some areas. There are particular black spots in the country where the child might have a social worker but the foster carer does not. There are foster carers who do not have linked social workers as we speak.

Foster carers are tired and they do not feel respected. I hear anecdotal stories of the social worker years ago who used to come to have a cup of tea at the table and a chat to check how things were going. That is no longer the case. We are talking about business processes, checklists and scrutiny. It is more quantitative and less qualitative. We need foster carers to feel supported and, most importantly, respected. We are aware of a number of foster carers who have dipped into their own financial resources to take judicial reviews to get outcomes or decisions about children in their care.

We have an annual fostering fortnight every spring time which promotes the importance of foster care in the lives of children. We really put out that message with regard to what fostering can do. Our last survey said that 90% of foster carers would state that fostering has improved and contributes to their lives but, conversely, they are saying they would not recommend fostering to somebody else. We are at that critical juncture today.