Written evidence to be reported to the House

Part of Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 3:15 pm on 18 October 2007.

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Les Lawrence: People think of fostering care as fostering care, but it is not, because local authorities provide the generality of foster carers. However, the Youth Justice Board provides the money for what is known as intensive foster caring. Intensive foster caring is the basis of seeking to take young people out of the youth justice system. That was indicated in response to an earlier question about the orders.

Going back to the children in trouble project, we have specifically concentrated in north-east Hampshire on the use of intensive fostering. The Youth Justice Board is funding that, as it does right across the country. The early indication is that the number of places and the resources, working with the court and the other agencies, are sufficient at this point, as is the number of places that are required to match the number of available resources. Yes, there is support from local authorities, because of the other services that need to go with the fostering service, but thus far, albeit from early indications from that pilot, it seems that the resources—if used in an aligned and the proper way—are sufficient at present.