Key Points
- The Mockingbird foster care programme in Bolton has reportedly saved nearly £1 million in public funds.
- The scheme, led by The Fostering Network, creates “constellations” of foster families with support from a central Hub Home Carer.
- The initiative improves placement stability, foster carer retention, and reduces the need for costly residential care placements.
- Foster carers and council officials laud the significant social and community benefits of the programme.
- Independent evaluations indicate the programme saves approximately 99 pence for every £1 invested by fostering services.
- The approach is heralded as a major innovation in children’s social care and is being expanded locally and nationally.
- The introduction of the Mockingbird model in Bolton has been welcomed by council officials, foster carers, and national fostering advocates.
- Evidence suggests wide-ranging benefits including better support, improved relationships among foster carers, and enhanced outcomes for children in care.
The Bolton Mockingbird foster care initiative has delivered close to £1 million in public savings, according to council officials and independent evaluations. The innovative scheme, which launched its first “constellation” in Bolton in collaboration with The Fostering Network, is transforming support for foster families and looked-after children by operating as an extended family network. Local leaders and foster carers describe transformative improvements for children and carers, while national data confirm the approach’s efficiency and financial benefits.
What Is the Mockingbird Scheme and How Does It Work?
As highlighted by The Bolton News, the Mockingbird scheme is an award-winning community foster care model that connects groups of families, referred to as “constellations”, who receive ongoing support from a designated Hub Home Carer. These hubs provide practical help such as sleepovers, advice, and peer mentoring, creating an environment that resembles the traditional extended family.
Bolton’s first constellation is led by Alison and Phil, veteran foster carers with more than 20 years’ experience, who support seven fostering households through regular guidance, sleepovers, and social activities. The idea, as explained by The Fostering Network, is to provide wraparound support to foster carers and young people, making fostering more stable and sustainable.
How Much Money Has the Scheme Actually Saved?
Reporting from The Bolton News notes that the programme has “saved nearly £1M in public money” through improved placement stability and the prevention of costly residential placements. This claim is reinforced by national research. The Mockingbird Impact Report 2024 from The Fostering Network details that, between 2018 and 2023, participating services have avoided £6.4 million in estimated costs, with savings calculated through reduced entries into residential care and retention of foster carers.
An independent evaluation, as cited in the same report, demonstrated a saving of approximately 99 pence for every £1 invested in the programme by fostering services. In specific terms, local authorities such as Bolton, upon reaching a steady operational state, project annual net savings in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. These figures result from avoided residential placements, reduced breakdowns, and associated costs, as well as enhanced carer retention.
What Have Local Leaders and Carers Said About the Scheme?
At the official launch reported by Bolton Council, Cllr Martin Donaghy, Executive Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, celebrated the scheme’s success:
“We are proud of our collaboration with The Fostering Network and to have launched our first Mockingbird constellation in Bolton. Our foster carers play a vital role, and their experience and knowledge is incredibly valuable. Having this additional support network in place will benefit all of the foster carers and children involved, with the opportunities to build new friendships and share experiences on a wider scale”.
Alison and Phil, Bolton’s inaugural Hub Home Carers, stated, as quoted by Bolton Council and Bolton Labour News:
“We have been carers for Bolton for over 20 years now and both agree that it's the most rewarding thing that we've ever done. When we all met for the first time, it felt like we had known each other for years. We are very much in it together as a constellation. Their wins are our wins and we are celebrating this together”.
Cllr Donaghy further pledged:
“We feel this is just the start, however, and I look forward to welcoming more constellations into the Bolton fostering community in the future”.
Why Is the Mockingbird Model Considered a Gamechanger Nationally?
As reported by The Fostering Network’s 2024 evaluation, the Mockingbird model exhibits multiple benefits beyond cost savings. It delivers significant improvements in placement stability, reduces incidents of children going missing, and boosts carer retention. According to the Mockingbird Impact Report 2022, between May 2018 and March 2022, 162 foster carers were retained and 382 placement breakdowns avoided due to the scheme’s support structures.
The model’s success has prompted its rollout across the UK, with similar positive findings from wider pilots in England and Wales. The Nesta evaluation of a Mockingbird pilot in Wales estimated annual net savings of over £500,000 once fully operational. Foster carers consistently report increased satisfaction, decreased stress, and improved relationships with young people, thanks to the model’s unique peer-support approach.
How Does the Programme Impact Children and Families?
Quoting from The Fostering Network’s evaluation, the scheme achieves its efficiencies by preventing the breakdown of placements and reducing the necessity for high-cost residential or external foster placements. Children placed in Mockingbird constellations express higher satisfaction with contact arrangements and benefit from greater placement stability.
Hub Home Carer Alison described the bond between families as transformative:
“We’ve fostered many children of all ages over the years and understand the need for space, support, and short breaks. We are very much in this together – when one family succeeds, we all do”.
What Does the Research Say About Financial and Social Impact?
The Mockingbird Impact Report 2024 presents compelling figures:
- £1.7m in estimated costs avoided by preventing 8 entries into residential care
- £621k avoided from preventing 507 placement breakdowns
- £4m avoided with the retention of 233 foster carers, observed nationally
As reported by the Department for Education’s Mockingbird Programme Evaluation Report (2020), for every £1 invested, savings of nearly £1 are realised through greater stability and lower administrative and placement costs. These findings reinforce short-term direct savings and long-term indirect benefits, such as improved educational attainment and emotional well-being for children in foster care.
Where Does Bolton’s Initiative Go from Here?
Bolton Council and partner organisations indicate that
further expansion of the Mockingbird model is planned, with more constellations
set to launch in future years.
Bolton Labour officials emphasise that this is “just the beginning”, with a
commitment to providing “stronger support than ever before” for foster families
in the borough.
Cllr Martin Donaghy concluded:
“We are proud to be part of this fantastic programme, which will bring real benefits to foster carers and children in Bolton. The additional support network will help families build new friendships, share experiences, and strengthen the fostering community in our borough”.
How Can People Get Involved or Find Out More?
Anyone interested in the Mockingbird programme, or in becoming a foster carer, is encouraged by Bolton Council to reach out directly via their official channels or by calling 0300 303 0321.
The Mockingbird model in Bolton is earning praise for its capacity to deliver measurable public savings, strengthen families, and provide new hope for children in care. With cross-party support, compelling independent evidence, and personal endorsements from those directly involved, the scheme is set to become a cornerstone of foster care support in Bolton and beyond.