Recently, I questioned whether Manchester can save £2.8M in fostering costs and on Tuesday, we recieved a report on the matter.  I remain far from convinced.

The Council are making creditable steps to reduce the costs.  They hope to put more children with foster parents and fewer in care homes.  I think that would result in more children in environments that would enable them to grow, allow them to achieve.  It won’t be the case that care homes are always bad and foster parents are always good, but, if the worst came to the worst, I would want my children in a family environment.

There are reasons to be pessimistic.  There are 31 fostering parents going through the training required. in the last quarter 26 parents stopped fostering. The reasons are various and don’t hint at a problem, the problem is sustaining the numbers of foster parents Manchester needs.

As a Council, we send a significant number of children to foster parents outside Manchester.  These parents cost more and much of the savings will be in reducing this expenditure.  But if we don’t have the carers in Manchester (and we are off the back of a recruitment drive), we will struggle to save what is required.

So, will the Council push to reduce costs or put the welfare of the children concerned first?

A quick post on School Closures in Chorlton tomorrow.

Brookburn, St Johns & Chorlton CofE are confirmed closed.  EDIT: Oswald Rd school is also closed tomorrow.

Schools in neighbouring wards that are also closed include:

Manley Park

Chorlton High

Loreto High

Martenscroft (Surestart)

Lancasterian

St Margarets CE (not certain this is the one on Withington Rd)

Whalley Range High.

NB: This list isn’t exhaustive.  The full list is here.

Should I hear news on Oswald Rd (or Chorlton Park Primary) I will post ASAP

UPDATE: A parent from Chorlton Park has contacted me saying that school is closed too. 

Teachers want to get the best from our children but they are held back because of government interference and initiatives which stop them from spending time with their pupils. The Liberal Democrats believe that all schools should be free from meddling politicians to work in creative and interesting ways to drive up standards and focus their attention on all their pupils., not the latest Government target. We will slim down the Curriculum and pass an Education Freedom Act banning politicians from getting involved in the day to day running of schools - leaving teachers to get on and focus on getting the best from all their pupils.