Why is Sheffield Council cutting support for older foster children?

Good afternoon readers — and welcome to our Monday briefing.

Austerity has been declared to be over a number of times. So why do cuts keep coming? On Wednesday, Sheffield City Council will publicly thank foster carers for looking after some of the most vulnerable children in the city. But the day before, a council committee will discuss cutting the amount of money they get for looking after older foster children. The Staying Put policy, which allows foster children to stay with their carers for another three years after the age of 18, is widely seen as a success. So why is it being cut back? That’s our big story today.

As well as that, we have an award-nominated wildlife photo, a show home to look round in Waverley, and Sheffield Cocktail Week begins.

Catch up

On Saturday, Victoria donned her proton pack and asked “who you gonna call?” with Sheffield’s answer to the Ghostbusters: paranormal investigator Brenda Diskin. “At least two people from two separate families saw a man in black top hat and coat in an old house on Chelsea Road”, commented Elaine Bird. Perhaps one for next year’s Halloween special… (equally if the gent in question is simply a misunderstood Tribune subscriber — then please, get in touch).

Last week, Dan dug into the mysterious story of Darnall allotments after owners suddenly closed the site amid dark allegations of animal mistreatment. He found the city’s biggest allotments in ruins, and owners unwilling to talk (unlike the newly installed CCTV). An extract from that piece is below.

While the allotments definitely had problems, a turnaround job was underway. Rikki says all the deadlines to remove the animals were met, something seemingly confirmed by the police. She reads out a letter from Simon Marks, PCSO at South Yorkshire Police, dated 13 June. It says that the removal of the animals had “gone well”, goes into a lot of detail (“13 dogs, 4 ferrets”) and says the operation had been successful “thanks largely to the good work done by the committee”. So why, when things were getting better, were the allotments abruptly shut down?

Editor’s note: Last week, our paying subscribers received an update on a selection of Tribune stories from the past two years — which appears to have gone down very well! As one reader wrote: “One of the frustrating things about the national media is that they herd into an issue, cover it (often poorly) and then jump into the next thing with no follow up or tracking pundits’ claims over time.” This is one of the main benefits of proper local media — that we can keep following stories long after the media circus has moved on.

The big picture: ‘Ey up mi duck’ 🦆

Congratulations to Sheffield-based photographer Wesley Kristopher who has won the People’s Choice Award in the Birdlife category at today’s British Photography Awards in London for this brilliant shot of a duck in the Barker’s Pool fountains.

The big story: Why is Sheffield Council cutting support for older foster children?

Top line: At a meeting of Sheffield Council’s Full Council this Wednesday, foster carers will be publicly thanked for the work they do with some of the most vulnerable children in Sheffield. But just one day earlier, the education, children and families policy committee are meeting to discuss a drastic cutting back of the budget for fostering young adults — with the risk that much of the good work by carers is undone.

Staying Put: Up until 2017, when a young person in foster care hit the age of 18, they were no longer classed as a looked after child. They would be a priority for a council house, and would receive housing benefit, universal credit and help in setting up their first home. After that, they would be on their own.

• It was obvious that withdrawing all support at the “cliff edge” age of 18 was not working. From 2017 onwards, all councils were required to have a policy for supporting previously fostered children between the ages of 18 and 21. 
• The funding and how the system would work, however, was left to individual councils. Sheffield Council’s Staying Put policy began in 2019 and allowed fostered children to stay on with their carer for another three years.

“Significant and substantive”: When they reach adulthood, children and young people who have been in foster care are at greater risk of homelessness, mental health problems, and going to prison. But the Staying Put policy has been having a positive impact. A report from the Centre for Homelessness found that across the country the policy has had a “significant and substantive effect on young people’s risk of experiencing homelessness”, and recommended that further funding and support should be given to it.

A thousand cuts: On Tuesday, the council’s education, children and families policy committee will discuss making significant cuts to the Staying Put scheme:

• The council are proposing to cut the money foster carers receive for their services by 50% in Years 2 and 3 of Staying Put (it would stay the same as it is now in Year 1). The justification is that in Years 2 and 3 they will be more independent.
• However, one Sheffield foster carer who spoke to The Tribune anonymously told us carers fear many of these young people are not ready for independence at that age. She added that cuts to the Staying Put scheme are going to make them regress.
• Funding to provide beds in the holidays for foster children who have gone to university will also be cut. The foster carer said in order to thrive at university like everyone wants them to, foster children still need to feel like they have the stability of a place at home.

Savings: The current budget for Staying Put provision is around £1 million, which the government gives Sheffield Council £319,000 towards. Council officers have calculated that the changes could save the authority around £430,000 a year. 

Filling the gap: The foster carer we spoke to said this will mean some carers will no longer be able to afford to look after vulnerable young people, something which will amplify the feelings of rejection they often already have. “I understand that there are cuts but we have cared for these children for years and they are tinkering with the last bit for a few pennies,” she added. “It feels like foster carers are being asked to fill the gap and fund the cuts.”

Bottom line: No one involved in fostering does it for the money. The service depends on masses of goodwill and on foster carers sharing their homes and their time with young people who may have multiple issues. For that they deserve our respect and gratitude.

But they also need money to provide this vital service. We all know that councils have had to tighten their belts over the last 14 years. Yet cutting back on such an important and life changing policy is short sighted, not least because foster children who fail to adapt to adult life are more likely to show up in the criminal justice system. There’s still time for a rethink before tomorrow’s meeting.

The following statement was sent to The Tribune on 05/11/24

Cllr Dawn Dale, Chair of the Education, Children’s and Families Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “We take pride in the fact that as a local authority we offer support to care leavers once they have turned 18, and the former foster carers who have guided them on their journey to this point.

“It’s a vital service for some of the most vulnerable young adults across the city who need that bit of prolonged support. It is also vital to note that plans are put in place on an the basis of an individual’s needs, and every single one of our care leavers will be catered for depending on what they require.

“Part of providing the best service we can is making the best use of the resources available to provide support to those who need it. We want to work with all of our former foster carers who provide this service in any updates we make to that policy, and will continue to discuss these with them.

“It also opens up the prospect of foster care placements for young children who desperately need them if those who decide to become a Staying Put carer also decide to remain a foster carer and provide a safe space to live to another child who needs it.”

To read regular Tribune contributor and foster carer David Bocking’s excellent piece on fostering from earlier this year, click here.

The weekly Whitworth ✏️

Cartoonist James Whitworth with his take on the intrigue at Darnall allotments.

This week’s weather ☁

Our weather forecast comes from dedicated Sheffield weather service Steel City Skies, who say it will be a settled but often dull week with large cloud amounts trapped within our high pressure. A calm, mild and quiet spell of weather.

Monday ☁ Staying dull with extensive cloud and limited brightness. Odd spot of drizzle over high ground, otherwise dry and calm from the southeast. 11°C.

Tuesday ☁ Mostly cloudy, though some brighter spells could develop. Calm southerly winds and dry for many with highs of 13°C.

Wednesday ☁ Little change with large cloud amounts and limited brightness in general. Mild with light southerly winds and highs of 14°C.

Thursday ☁ Copy and paste with the blanket of cloud not shifting. Again some brightness is possible, with light winds and highs of 13°C.

Friday ☁ Perhaps a little cooler but still rather cloudy throughout the day with light southeasterly winds and highs of around 12°C.

Outlook: No major changes expected into the weekend with our high pressure cell still in control. Cloud, some brightness and largely dry conditions expected.

To see the full forecast and keep up to date with any changes to the outlook, follow Steel City Skies on Facebook.

Coming up

This week, our paying members will receive two extra editions of The Tribune. In the first, we provide the case against the Centre for Cities’ recent piece that downplayed the role manufacturing should play in our region’s economy. And in the second, 82 medical staff, trainees and medical students are being ousted from their affordable accommodation next to Rotherham hospital out of concerns over fire safety risks. But how legitimate are these concerns? Both of those stories sound like absolute must reads to us. If you agree, you know what to do 👇

Our media picks 🔗

Blue plaque for man who coined 'Northern Soul' 🎶 A plaque was unveiled yesterday to commemorate the life and legacy of Dave Godin. Born in London, Godin made Sheffield his home in the 1980s and helped set up and manage The Anvil Civic Cinema on Charter Row. Godin is also credited with inventing the term Northern Soul at a record shop in Deptford, and played a major role in bringing Motown stars like Marvin Gaye and Martha Reeves to the UK.

The remarkable 170-year story behind one of Sheffield's oldest companies 🏭 A nice piece in The Star about Loxley’s, the historic firm which prints 100 million greetings cards a year at its Abbeydale home. It has just celebrated its 170th anniversary and is still going strong, having survived two world wars, depressions, a major fire and, most recently, the Covid pandemic. Managing director Tony Lorriman says looking after such a storied firm is “a huge honour”.

A noble effort from the future king 👑 Times columnist Carol Midgley reviewed Prince William: We Can End Homelessness on ITV, a documentary on the future king’s Homewards initiative, which aims to (as that title suggests) end homelessness in six pilot locations over the next five years. One of those locations is our very own city and, a few months ago, the Homewards project looked back on its progress during its first year. Both Midgley and this slightly more critical review in the Guardian raise the obvious question of whether Prince William has the right qualifications for the difficult task he’s taken on — although both are at least willing to let him have a go.

Home of the week 🏡

Interior design fans rejoice: today’s home of the week has been given the professional treatment by Siobhan Murphy — Yorkshire’s own maximalist mastermind and finalist of BBC’s Interior Design Masters. The new Sky-house showhome at Waverley Central is opening this weekend — giving you the chance to experience Sky-house’s sustainable, light-filled houses paired with Murphy’s eye-catching design.

The house features an autumnal palette of olive greens and rusts, and uses sustainable materials like wood and marble. “For me, it’s about walking into a room and not being able to read it straight away”, says Murphy. “It’s that layering that I really, really love”. 

You can watch Murphy talking about the showhome here. And you can visit Friday 8^th November-Sunday 10^th November 10-4pm; no booking needed, but more details here.

Today’s home of the week is sponsored by Sky-house.

Tribune tips: If you want to tell us about a story or give us some information, please get in touch with us by emailing editor@sheffieldtribune.co.uk. We are happy to speak to people off the record, and we guarantee we will treat your information with confidence and sensitivity.

Things to do 📆

Food and drink 🍸 Taking place all week is the inaugural Sheffield Cocktail Week, featuring discounted drinks, food and lots more across the city’s best cocktail venues. Simply buy your wristband and unlock 100s of discounted £5 cocktails in bars and restaurants across the city centre and beyond. For £9.95 you get unlimited use of your wristband for 10 days (until Sunday, 10 November). For a full list of all the participating bars and restaurants, visit the website.

Sheffield Cocktail Week got us thinking. If there was a Sheffield-themed cocktail, what would it be called? And what spirits would you put in it? Answers on a postcard (or comment below).

Drama 🎭 On Wednesday night at the Drama Studio, author and spoken-word artist Justin Hopper tells The Great Satanic Swindle, a story that is at once utterly unbelievable and entirely true. When a mysterious stranger tells a tale of witchcraft, trapped souls and a life-or-death struggle with Satan himself, a group of church-goers, millionaires and aristocrats stepped in to save him — and then things got very weird. Tickets are priced £6-£13 and doors open at 8pm.

Music 🎺 On Thursday at the Sheffield Citadel on Psalter Lane, join Brassworks Sheffield and the world famous Grimethorpe Colliery Band for an evening of spectacular brass music to celebrate Crookes Brass Band’s one-year anniversary. Tickets are £12.50 for adults and £5 for under-16s and doors open at 7pm. Money raised from the event will fund the band’s rehearsals and tuition, and the continued development of players of all ages and abilities in the local area.