Robin Swann
North Antrim · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his detailed statement. I know how passionate he is about the subject and how many times he has brought it to the Executive.”
“It has been reported that today will potentially be the warmest day of the year. As we move into the summer and our summer holidays, I want to raise public awareness of wildfires across Northern Ireland, which have been detrimental to farmland and our environment over the past number of years.”
“Wildfires are still having a detrimental impact on our environment and, occasionally, on livestock, but that reduction shows the impact of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service's proactive approach to educating the general public and engaging with rural communities and schools on its fire safety message, which is to stay alert, not…”
“There has been a lot of talk of sport in this place over the past few days, with everybody concentrating on UEFA. One sport that is going on across Northern Ireland at the minute is cross-community and goes across all age groups without fear, favour or distinction: pigeon racing.”
“I want to put on record that, since this place passed the amendment that recognised pigeon racing as a sport under the 2016 Act, over the past five years, pigeon racing clubs across Northern Ireland have been able to obtain £113,000 of rates rebates through the sports and recreation rate relief, allowing many of those clubs to continue ra…”
“There was much coverage on social media over the weekend of an incident in Staines in England, in which a police car rammed a young calf to bring it under control. It has restarted the conversation about animal cruelty. <BR /> <BR />I am dealing with a specific case in my constituency.”
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“As a result, the minor injuries services transferred to the Ulster Hospital site on 6 September 2023. <BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, that is the update that I have.”
“As has been mentioned, a petition of over 19,000 signatures against the move was also received. The trust's findings and associated mitigations were publicly presented in a feedback report released in June. During the summer period, the trust's board approved the preferred option, and the trust's chief executive wrote to the Department requesting approval to transfer the services. A number of clarifications and queries were addressed by my officials in the Department and the Public Health Agency before the findings were submitted to the permanent secretary. Having carefully considered the proposal and the consultation outcome, the permanent secretary, in the absence of an Executive, wrote to the trust's chief executive at the end of August to approve the changes under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2022.”
“That, like all significant service change, is a requirement under the Department of Health's policy guidance on roles and responsibilities. <BR /> <BR />In January 2023, the trust received approval from the Department to commence a public consultation on the matter. The consultation outlined nine options, with a preference to move the minor injuries service units to the Ulster Hospital site. The consultation commenced in February 2023 with trust board approval for the statutory 12 weeks, and it ended in May 2023. I have noted Members' concerns about the consultation period, but I was advised that, during the consultation period, the trust held three public events: two online and one in person. The events had 121 attendees, 388 responses were received, and 642 local groups and 460 organisations were informed.”
“<BR /> <BR />The move to consolidated minor injuries services on the Ulster Hospital site met priority 1, which was to create that integrated urgent care service. My Department, along with the South Eastern Trust, is still committed to providing better urgent and emergency care services and recognises the need for reform to address the many challenges in the healthcare system, which that move seeks to do. I have confirmed that all the relevant procedures were followed in making the decision. Having identified significant challenges and the need to make a service change, the chief executive of the South Eastern Trust notified my Department in December 2022 of the trust's intent to change the model of care that it provides to residents of Ards and North Down.”
“Even if the facilities at Ards Hospital were renovated, the volume of demand versus the available space would also be likely to present challenges on the current site. Likewise, the facility in Bangor is limited in space and would struggle to meet further demand if that were the operational alternative. <BR /> <BR />The public consultation on the future of urgent and emergency care in Northern Ireland, which was mentioned, was launched in March 2022, and the consultation findings report was published in October 2022. The report concluded that there was broad support for the proposals outlined in the public consultation, which included three strategic priorities: creating an integrated urgent and emergency care service; capacity, coordination and performance; and a regionalised approach to immediate care.”
“In recent years, bank ENPs have supported the operational rota at Ards MIU. However, the six retired bank ENPs who had been available in previous years to secure the service have been reduced to two, meaning that the historical reliance on bank staff was no longer possible. <BR /> <BR />A further major issue for the trust that, I was informed, was affecting services at Ards minor injury unit was the condition of the estate in which the service operated. The building needed major investment or replacement to continue providing the service. In the absence of any immediate capital funding, the trust was faced with the prospect of temporarily closing or relocating in the short term, while awaiting capital investment, in order to effectively manage the risks that were present.”
“That is most likely because working as part of a multidisciplinary team, as would be the case in emergency departments, is an attractive proposition for emergency nurse practitioners because of the extended scope of practice and greater opportunities for nursing management experience that it offers. At the close of the consultation period, 40% of the posts were outstanding in the emergency nurse practitioner workforce. Two of the posts were filled by other trusts' ENPs on a supplementary basis. <BR /> <BR />The trust has advised that, on average, since 2018, 20% of the ENP workforce has been unfilled at the Bangor and Ards MIUs. As I mentioned, the trust reported that ENPs had a reduced scope of practice at a stand-alone unit and that that was a contributory factor in its recruitment difficulties.”
“I have been informed that, in the consultation document, the trust cited difficulties in the recruitment and retention of staff at the minor injury units. Officials in my Department and the Public Health Agency sought additional information from the trust about its position and were advised that there had been ongoing recruitment drives for emergency nurse practitioners (ENPs). Prior to the consultation exercise, the most recent recruitment drive had been in autumn 2022. While that was successful in appointing a number of candidates to the trust, none of the successful applicants was interested in taking up a permanent position at the Ards minor injury unit.”
“To mitigate that risk, the trust's decision to transfer those services to one site was aimed at ensuring that unscheduled care services for the population of Ards and North Down remained safe and sustainable for the long term.”
“Although the decision was taken by the permanent secretary, under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2022 — Members have highlighted the fact that the decision was made in the absence of Ministers, when this place was not functioning — I have been assured that the correct processes were followed in making that decision. <BR /> <BR />I have been informed by the South Eastern Trust that the main drivers for implementing the new model included increased demand for unscheduled care, staffing challenges, substandard facilities and the need to optimise staff skills and expertise. Above all, the trust was facing a strong risk that it would have to react suddenly to the inability to provide minor injury services on the two sites in the very near future.”
“I thank the Member for securing the Adjournment debate and providing an opportunity to address an issue that concerns a key change and improvement to unscheduled care in the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. The consolidation of minor injury services on the Ulster Hospital site represents what I have been told is an improved service for the residents of the Ards and North Down Borough Council area. At the Ulster Hospital, patients have immediate access to a service that is open longer hours, with a wider range of diagnostics. More importantly, the minor injury service has been secured for the long term, with the appropriate skills in place and training for staff. In addition, the unit is now consultant-led, whereas the smaller units were led by specialist emergency care nurses. I will expand on that later.”
“When spend is broken down regionally, there is therefore not the disparity that some try to portray when they say that our system is overfunded. On where we stand on that matter, the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council also stated in 2022:”
“Compared with England, Scotland and Wales, that statistic proves to be right, but, in 2022, the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council stated that we spend:”
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. Before I get into my substantive response, I will pick up on some of the comments made by Members, because it is important to provide clarification before I respond to the debate. <BR /> <BR />Miss McIlveen and Mr Chambers used quotations attributed to me from press releases or other documents, I can assure them and the House that I stand by what I have said in the past. I do not change my mind or perform U-turns just because something may be popular or seen to be the right thing to do. <BR /> <BR />I will address a wider comment, which I am attributing not just to Ms Egan or Mr Muir in today's debate, in order to dispel the easy line that is often used that, in Northern Ireland, we spend more per head on health than any other country.”
“Given the amount of very positive work in regards to the current financial context and the current two-year delivery plan, I have no plans to review the strategy and its workings at this stage, but I concede that the appointment of the reviewer is necessary to be fully compliant with the legislation, and it is my intention to bring an update on the appointment within the six weeks that was mentioned in the debate.”
“<BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I recognise the importance of ensuring that all people with autism or those waiting on an assessment for autism, their families and their carers can receive the right access to services and support at the right time and in the right place. I assure all Members that my Department will continue to work in partnership across Departments, the health and social care sector, public bodies and the community and voluntary sector to make that happen. It is my view that the current strategy and work in my Department is largely compliant with the legislation.”
“I agree with the Member's suggestion, and I will take that forward. I said that I had deferred the decision not that I had refused to make the decision. <BR /> <BR />It is important to recognise that the current funding gap for Health will inevitably lead to a failure to meet other legislative responsibilities across a range of areas, and that includes the delivery of services. <BR /> <BR />My Department is working towards the publication of an equality impact assessment (EQIA) on the Budget allocation. Whilst it will be necessary to make some decisions on allocations prior to the conclusion of that consultation, responses will be taken into account when prioritising the allocation of any additional funding received this year.”
“Therefore, I must defer a decision on the reviewer until I consider health funding pressures in the round.”
“Notwithstanding the lack of financial commitment, the competition to appoint an autism reviewer was progressed by my departmental officials during the period when the Assembly was not fully functioning. However, given the significant pressures faced by the Department, my permanent secretary decided to pause the appointment process, and I support the decision taken under the powers conferred to the senior officials in the absence of this place. <BR /> <BR />Following my return to office, my officials have provided me with advice on the reviewer, and I remain fully supportive of the appointment. However, the Budget set last week will result in serious potential damage to health and social care. As has been said, I voted against the Budget on that basis and now must consider cuts to our front-line services.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am fully aware of the responsibility that numerous Members have mentioned to appoint an independent autism reviewer for Northern Ireland. I acknowledge the significant role that that post will play for autistic people and their families. In my previous term, I wrote to Executive colleagues to seek agreement for that post and asked for it to be co-funded, which would have recognised that we all have a role in the delivery of the strategy. Despite the clear cross-departmental scrutiny role that the reviewer will have, no funding commitments were forthcoming from Executive colleagues at the time, unlike for the mental health champion, which has cross-departmental funding. Getting that commitment from my Executive colleagues would be a clear demonstration of all the parties and Departments' commitment to the role.”
“That has been issued to all relevant Departments for completion, and responses are due back with my Department within the next three weeks. I am happy to publish those and share them with Members to update you all on the responses that we receive. It is especially relevant to note the asks from Mr Baker about education and from Mr McHugh about the Department for the Economy and employment. The outputs of that exercise will be used to produce a cross-departmental monitoring and funding report that will set out the progress made, the outcomes that have been achieved and how they have been measured. The report will also capture the funding, where possible, that has been allocated to support and deliver the strategy's commitments. Again, that is aligned with the requirements of the 2022 Act and will be put before the Assembly.”
“A review is under way to better understand the needs of people with learning disabilities and a coexisting diagnosis of autism. That work aims to ensure that health and social care services are sufficiently adjusted and enhanced to support people with autism. Our Health and Social Care Leadership Centre has been commissioned to take forward work to provide proposals for the development of a regional autism information service, which will provide signposting to services and support. That has involved extensive stakeholder engagement across Northern Ireland, and proposals are due with my Department in the coming weeks. <BR /> <BR />A cross-departmental monitoring template has also been developed to assess progress against the first year of the delivery plan.”
“That common theme was highlighted during the Department's consultation that led to the publication of the 2023-28 strategy. Today, I will report on several strategy actions that have been progressed. <BR /> <BR />Guidance has been developed for employers to increase the understanding of and support for autistic people in employment. That was done in collaboration with the Equality Commission. Autistic capacity-building sessions for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive have been delivered. That has led to the training of approximately 400 staff. My Department has funded the development of GP training videos across all trusts to increase understanding of the challenges that autistic people experience and how reasonable adjustments can support autistic people when they attend medical appointments.”
“That was not a one-off engagement; my officials continue to engage with autistic people and the sector via the Department's autism forum, which was established in 2021. As Members know, that is co-chaired by autistic advocates in order to consider issues and challenges on a thematic basis. The next meeting of that group will be in June this year. <BR /> <BR />As many Members will be aware, the strategy was developed and is being taken forward during a period of exceptionally constrained financial circumstances for all Departments, public bodies and health and social care services. Whilst there is a continued commitment to the implementation of actions, that has necessitated a creative and innovative approach. A consistent message from the people whom we support and their families is that they want actions, not words.”
“The Member is aware that the motion calls for an update to be provided within six weeks, and I commit to the House to provide that update. As she said, the strategy also sets out the outcomes that we seek to achieve and the time frame for their delivery. It is important to note, however, that the absence of a Programme for Government has impacted on the process to identify and map outcomes and some of the measurable targets. <BR /> <BR />The strategy underpins the delivery plan. It is informed not only through extensive consultation and engagement but through evidence and best practice conveyed through international, national and local research and policy. It was subject to full public consultation, and my officials used a range of methods to engage those with lived experience and stakeholders who advocate on their behalf.”
“That strategy recognises that the issues faced by children and adults with autism are cross-cutting and that they, therefore, require collaboration across government and sectors and with autistic people. The strategy is supported through increased collaborative working across the sector, and the two-year delivery plan outlines a range of actions to be taken across the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Department for Communities and the Department for the Economy, as well as across a range of statutory and independent sector bodies. The strategy sets out, clearly, the outcomes that we seek to achieve and the time frame for their delivery.”
“<BR /> <BR />In response, and aligned with its legislative responsibility, my Department has taken a leading role to prepare a cross-departmental strategy to address long-standing inequalities across our public services. Members will be aware that, despite the significant challenges presented by the pandemic, my Department published an interim autism strategy in 2021. That was to maintain the momentum of the successes up to that date and to provide space to develop a longer-term strategy in 2023. <BR /> <BR />Despite what, as has been referenced, was a very challenging financial and political context, my Department continued with the development of a new cross-departmental autism strategy, which, as Members have noted, was published in late 2023 and is aligned to the legislative requirements of the Autism Act 2022.”
“<BR /> <BR />For many years, many people have been allowed to go undiagnosed. That is simply not good enough. Diagnosis is not the solution to all the problems that are faced, nor is it necessary in order to open every door, but it is the start of a journey for each person who is diagnosed. Work is under way to produce a regionally standardised pathway for assessment that will allow for better management and reduction of waiting lists. It is unfortunate that autistic people in our society continue to face stigma and misconceptions about their skills and abilities. Mr McHugh raised that issue in relation to employment challenges.”
“<BR /> <BR />As has been said here today and was said during the debates on the Bill that became the Act, autism is not an illness that can be treated; it is a lifelong condition, and better education of and understanding from all of us can help people to live fuller and healthier lives, in which they enjoy the same benefits and freedoms that we all do. Mr McGrath referenced the fact that, while autism is not a mental health issue, it is important that we are aware that it is common for autistic people to experience mental health issues such as anxiety. We must be cognisant of the fact that three in 10 people with learning difficulties have a co-occurring diagnosis of autism, which can mean that they present with an exceptional level of health and social care need.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Members for bringing forward this important motion. My officials and I are fully committed to full implementation of the Autism (Amendment) Act 2022. Many of the issues that have been raised today are already of high priority for my Department. I take this opportunity to assure Members that work is ongoing to try to address the challenges, despite the difficult financial position that Health and Social Care finds itself in. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is that all Departments work together to address the issues faced by people with autism.”
“I acknowledge the names that the Member read out, but — I am sure that Mr Boylan will be supportive of this — it would be remiss of the House not to recognise Reverend Coulter, my predecessor in North Antrim, for his work in this area.”
“I assure her that we are working with the Belfast Trust to better understand the reasons why children are being taken into care, by considering the available data and comparing practice across the trust, particularly in North Belfast, because the pattern is not uniform across the trust. We need to understand why that is the case and see what can be done to address that. <BR /> <BR />In responding to the consultation on the children's services review, people were clear about the need for improved support for foster carers and meaningful engagement with them. I expect to receive detailed advice on the next steps to implement Professor Jones's recommendations in the coming weeks. I will have the voices of foster carers and children in my mind as I consider that advice and make decisions on the way forward.”
“The Member makes a valuable point about those training places. Yesterday, I engaged with officials on the submission with regard to what budget would be assigned to that. As the Member well knows, I currently do not have a budget. I am working with a flatline budget for the training places that I can currently commission. I have not received firm recommendations from my officials, but social work and social workers are high-priority. I see a recognised need because of issues that have been raised today. I would like to look on that favourably. <BR /> <BR />I want to get back to the issue that the Member raised about the specific number of children in care in her area.”
“I need to acknowledge, however, the high vacancy rates in children's social care services, including in the fostering teams, that are impacting on teams' ability to engage with and support potential foster carers and progress new applications. Actions are being taken to address the recruitment and retention difficulties, but there is more work to do.”
“That reform programme has been in place since April 2023 and has a work stream dedicated to improving the recruitment and retention of foster carers, in recognition of their vital role in our children's social care system. That work stream has already carried out much of the necessary exploratory work to inform the new approaches to recruiting and retaining foster carers. <BR /> <BR />I am clear that it is now time for us to take specific actions that will help stabilise, support and expand foster care services. Those actions must include improving our capacity to engage with potential foster carers, learning from successful recruitment and retention measures in other areas and improving the process to assess and approve new foster carers.”
“As I have said, I expect to bring forward new fostering regulations by the summer. Work is under way to develop the accompanying standards. I also recommended that the experience and expertise of foster carers be harnessed through, for example, the region-wide introduction of the Mockingbird model to enhance the support and status of foster carers. <BR /> <BR />Professor Ray Jones was clear that foster carers should be recognised and positioned as valued members of the children's social care team. That recommendation was accepted from the outset and has been identified as one of the guiding principles to inform the implementation of the review's other recommendations and the associated reform programme.”
“<BR /> <BR />In time, our new special guardianship orders (SGOs) will also be introduced. SGOs will enable greater permanence for some foster children, enabling them to leave care with continued support and assistance provided to them and their guardians. <BR /> <BR />All of that is taking place in the context of much wider reform of children's social care services following the publication of the independent review led by Professor Ray Jones that I commissioned. Professor Jones highlighted the challenges in foster care. He also considered the high proportion of children placed in kinship care to be a particular strength, however. The review recommended that previous reviews of foster care policies and services be updated and acted on now and not allowed to drift.”
“The framework recognises the valuable contribution of everyone in a child's caregiving network, including foster carers, and the importance of supporting those people so that they, in turn, can help children. <BR /> <BR />I am also bringing forward new regulations to update the legislative framework for fostering and to bring fostering agencies within the scope of registration with the RQIA. The regulations aim to improve the assessment and approval process for foster parents and will place new duties on trusts and adoption agencies in respect of the information, training and support that they provide to foster carers. It is intended that the new regulations will be complemented by new standards that will, again, be developed in partnership with foster parents and those for whom they care.”
“I expect a new policy to be operational later this year. <BR /> <BR />Foster parents are in the unique position of caring for a child 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I want to see the knowledge of foster parents better reflected in the planning for those in their care. A review of current planning in looked-after child review arrangements has commenced and is in its early stages. Alongside children and young people, foster carers will have a key role in informing that review and, importantly, future decision-making processes. At this point, I will pick up on what Mr Elliott said and ensure that his comments and reflections are included in that work. <BR /> <BR />In the longer term, the continued roll-out of the Northern Ireland framework for integrated therapeutic care will expand into foster care settings.”
“I have asked again for an examination of how that funding is used, in order to determine whether we are using it as effectively as possible and whether there is scope to do something differently. <BR /> <BR />As has been said by many contributors to the debate, financial support is important, but I also want to see more practical and emotional support provided to foster carers. One of the areas where, foster carers have told us, they need more support is during investigations. A review of the process for handling complaints and allegations against foster carers is under way. That is to ensure that complaints and those who are the subject of a complaint are treated fairly and to ensure that foster carers are clear about the process and the support that they can expect to receive while concerns are being investigated.”
“However, I have asked my officials to develop early proposals for my consideration and to ensure that any uplift in allowances is communicated and paid to foster carers as quickly as possible. I stress that an uplift in foster care allowances will have resource implications in the context of the severe budgetary constraints faced by my Department, but I will carefully consider any proposals to increase foster allowances. <BR /> <BR />I also want to review how we use all the funding that is currently available to us in the most effective way, in addition to the payment of allowances, because we also pay fees. The totality of that investment is more than £60 million annually.”
“<BR /> <BR />In the year to March 2023, the Regional Adoption and Fostering Service received 573 enquiries about fostering. Excluding those who came forward in response to a targeted young refugee appeal, that represented a 54% reduction in enquiries from the previous year. I agree with Members that action is needed now to turn that around. The current level of foster care allowances are a concern, and it is a matter of regret that it was possible to increase foster care allowances by only 3% last year. That was because of the absence of a confirmed Budget for 2024-25. Unfortunately, it is also not possible for me to make a firm commitment today on the level of increase for this year.”
“That is significant, because living with close family members or friends whom they know and trust is of benefit to those children, but it is also important to acknowledge that kinship carers may require additional support to help them care for the child or children whom they are looking after. <BR /> <BR />I want to be clear that foster carers are provided with support. Social workers across the trusts work tirelessly to build supportive relationships with foster carers and to help them through every step of the fostering journey. Foster carers in Northern Ireland can benefit from a range of support, including training and development opportunities, financial allowances, dedicated support groups and bespoke resources and services. I thank the Members for tabling the motion: it is clear that we need to do more.”
“That shift is also evident in the number of foster parents available to care for children. <BR /> <BR />At this point, I acknowledge the contribution made by kinship carers to the lives of children and young people — the grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles who step up to care for children who can no longer live with their parents. They do that often at great sacrifice to themselves and their plans for the future. They act out of love, care and compassion. <BR /> <BR />The number of foster carers has increased by just 9% in the last five years, compared with a corresponding increase in the number of children in care of 16% over the same period. The number of kinship carers over the same five-year period from March 2019 to March 2023 increased by 22%. The number of non-kinship carers, however, fell by 6%.”
“In March 2023, there were 3,140 children in foster care — 83% of children in care. In addition, 315 young care leavers were living with their former foster carers as part of the Going the Extra Mile (GEM) scheme. That GEM scheme will be placed on a statutory basis under the Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. Importantly, the balance of children placed in kinship care and non-kinship care has shifted dramatically in recent years. In March 2019, 52% of children in foster care were living with non-kin foster parents, while 48% were living with kinship carers. Since March 2020, however, that has changed, and a greater proportion of children in foster care have been placed with family members or friends. At March 2023, 55% of children in foster care were living in kinship care, while 45% were living with non-kin foster carers.”
“I expect to be able to bring forward those new fostering agency regulations before the summer.”
“In line with commitments in that strategy, a regional approach to the recruitment of foster carers has been in place since 2020, when the HSC NI adoption and fostering service was launched. It is that service that recruits, trains and supports foster carers and takes an always-recruiting approach to keep fostering in the public arena. <BR /> <BR />The passage of the Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) in April 2022 was another important step in bringing forward legislation to strengthen the arrangements for assessing and approving foster carers.”
“As was referenced, the number of looked-after children is higher today than it has ever been, with almost 4,000 children in care. Over 80% of those in care are looked after in a foster care placement. The A Life Deserved: Caring for Children and Young People in Northern Ireland strategy for our looked-after children recognises that we are fortunate in Northern Ireland that so many of our children in care are able to live with foster carers in a stable home environment, but it also recognises the challenges facing foster carers and is clear about the need to support them. That strategy identifies the need for an effective recruitment plan and improved support for foster carers.”
“Furthermore, at that point, foster parents in Northern Ireland were included in group 2 of the COVID vaccination programme alongside front-line health and social care workers. Northern Ireland was the only region of the UK to take that step. <BR /> <BR />It has been said, however, that this is not just about the money. I think that it was Mrs Dodds who, when she proposed the motion, said that it was about valuing foster carers. I recognise that those were short-term measures and that there is a real need to develop a sustainable recruitment and retention plan for foster carers that will encourage new carers to come forward and support our existing foster parents to continue in the vital role that they perform. <BR /> <BR />I want to take a moment to set out the context in which foster parents are caring for children.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate and again put on record my deep appreciation of foster carers for caring for our children and young people. I was pleased to be able to translate my respect and appreciation for foster carers into a practical support when I was in this role during the pandemic. At the outset of the pandemic, our trusts provided a £100 one-off payment to foster parents to enable them to purchase materials to help to keep children occupied whilst at home. In addition, I made almost £1·4 million available to uplift fostering allowances in 2021 and March 2022, and I made available the additional payment that was referenced earlier and that required funding of almost £1 million to help to sustain foster placements during what was a very challenging time for families.”