ALLOWANCE AND PAYMENT SCHEME FOR LAMBETH FOSTER CARERS. April 2012

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1 ALLOWANCE AND PAYMENT SCHEME FOR LAMBETH FOSTER CARERS April

2 Dear Carer, Please find enclosed the Allowance and Payment Scheme for Lambeth Foster Carers. There is no uplift in the rate of the combined foster carers competence payment and fostering allowance from April 2012 to March We are continuing to maintain allowances at their levels. We greatly value the work that our foster carers do on behalf of looked after children in Lambeth. We are committed to doing all that we can to support you both financially and through continued support and training. I hope to be able to meet many more of you in the coming year. Ian Lewis Assistant Director, Multi-Agency Children Looked After and Corporate Parenting 2

3 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this document is to outline the financial support and entitlements to foster carers and family and friend 1 carers who care for children on behalf of Lambeth Council. Financial support is paid to carers in the form of a Foster Carers Allowance and is paid by the Lambeth Children and Young People s Service (CYPS). ALLOWANCE AND PAYMENTS The Allowance and Payment Scheme comprises is made up of two elements: 1. The Allowance element is designated for the care of the child. The allowance is payable to all foster carers who are subject to Fostering Regulations and are caring for a Lambeth Looked After Child. It is structured to meet a child s needs over the medium to long term and includes costs towards birthdays, festivals and holidays. The same allowance is payable to foster carers who have been approved to care for a named child through being a family member or family friend, sometimes referred to as a Family and Friend foster carer. 2. The Competency Payment is a reward payment to foster carers who meet the following additional requirements. a. Have been approved by the Lambeth Fostering Panel following a full competency based form F assessment. b. Have completed the compulsory Choosing to Foster Training in conjunction with the Children s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) by 1 st April c. If a connected person carer has completed the compulsory Choosing to Foster training programme in conjunction with a full BAAF form C assessment. d. Have met the National Minimum Standards for Fostering and are committed to continuing personal and professional development to better meet the needs of children and young people placed with them. This is applicable to all foster carers who have successfully completed the accredited courses for their fostering portfolios. e. Fully co-operate with the requirements of the fostering role, including attending reviews, record keeping, and working together with the Supervising and Child s Social Worker, schools and other professionals. WHAT DOES THE ALLOWANCE COVER? The Allowance is intended to cover all of the general costs associated with the care of the child or young person and their day to day needs. The Allowance is aimed at maintaining a normal standard of care for the looked after child or young person as set out in the Lambeth Foster Carers Handbook. The Allowance includes both items that are purchased directly to meet the child s needs such as food, clothing and social activities. It also covers indirect costs such as family transport, family outings and any additional general household maintenance costs such as utilities and cleaning materials. It also includes costs associated with birthdays, festivals and holidays. The table below outlines the items covered by the Allowance for looked after children and young people. 1 Family and friend carers have previously been referred to as kinship carers. 3

4 Table 1 Items Covered by the Allowance by expected percentage of spending per item Item Percentage (%) Food including school meals 25 Leisure and activities, including birthday, 20 festivals and holidays Clothing 15 Household 15 Health and Hygiene 5 Transport 5 Pocket money 5 Savings 5 Babysitting 5 Whilst the table above sets out a general guide for spending per item, it is understood that the needs of children and young people of the same age group can vary widely and foster carers are responsible for using their discretion to ensure that the child or young person s overall needs are met. For example, some expenditure on items may not change from month to month e.g. food. However expenditure on items such as clothing and utilities may vary. The carer is expected to budget for these variations in expenditure. If the carer s expenditure on the child or young person differs significantly from the proportions set out in the table above, the Supervising Social Worker should arrange to discuss the carer s expenditure at a supervisory visit. This will assist the foster carer to budget accordingly or assist the Social Worker to determine if any additional financial support is required. The basic expectations for spending on each item are outlined below. Food - Children and young people should receive dinner money or a packed lunch as is appropriate to their needs and preferences. They should be provided with breakfast before school and a meal in the evening. Healthy drinks and snacks should be made available within reason. Health and hygiene - Young people who have reached puberty will need an allowance to buy toiletries such as tampons, deodorant and shaving equipment etc. Clothing - It is important that children and young people are provided with a sufficient shoes and clothes appropriate to their age. Carers should provide opportunities for children and young people to be involved in choosing and buying clothes as they get older. It is expected that foster carers would provide a young person aged thirteen and over with money to buy some clothes for themselves from the basic allowance with guidance. Pocket money and savings - It is important that children have some understanding of the responsibilities of looking after their own money from the age of seven years. Prior to this, children s pocket money should be spent under the supervision of the foster carer or kept as savings. The child s social worker will be responsible in partnership with the foster carer for determining the exact amount of pocket money and savings as this will sometimes need to be considered in light of what is reasonable within the fostering family and the child s level of maturity. Carers are expected to help children to learn about savings as part of preparation for adulthood. It is therefore important for the carer to assist the child in opening up a savings 4

5 account, such as a post office account, into which the child can save an element of their pocket money. It is an expectation that carers will open a savings account in the child s name for the sole purpose of saving the minimum amount of funds as set out in the allowance breakdown. This savings account is maintained and held by the carer until such time when the child leaves the placement. If the child moves placement, the savings book is then given to the supervising social worker who will ensure that it follows the child to their next place of abode. Where a foster carer is concerned about providing a child or young person with pocket money they should be referred to the supervising social worker, who will discuss ways to address the concerns. FOSTERING ALLOWANCE AND PAYMENT RATES As noted above the fostering allowance and payment rates are made up of the fostering allowance and the competency payment for carers who have met the requirements in 2 (ad). Competency payments for Specialist Carers reflect the additional skills required of foster carers who care for children and young people. The following tables provide a breakdown of the rates. Aged 0-12 years Aged 13+ years Fostering Allowance per week per week Competence Payment per week per week Total Foster Carers Allowance per week per week Specialist Foster Carers Allowance Remand carers Age 0-12 years Aged 13+ years Fostering Allowance per week per week Enhanced Competence Payment per week per week Total Foster Carers Allowance per week per week Children with disabilities carers Age 0-12 years Aged 13+ years Fostering Allowance per week per week Enhanced Competence Payment per week per week Total Foster Carers Allowance per week per week Mother and baby carers Age 0-12 years Aged 13+ years Fostering Allowance per week per week Enhanced Competence Payment per week per week Total Foster Carers Allowance per week per week Short Break Carers Rate Time in hours Hourly Rate day & over (including an overnight stay) days & over days & over days & over days to 1 week

6 CONNECTED PERSON CARER (previously known as family & friend carer) The introduction of the New Fostering Service (England) Regulations 2011 has provided a platform for equal payments to be made to all carers providing that they meet the appropriate criteria. In Lambeth the criteria is for all carers to undertake the skills to foster training programme and have a full BAAF Form C assessment approved at the fostering panel. All connected person carers are welcome to undertake this process. SHORT BREAK CARERS Short break carers provide valuable and specialist support for children with disabilities and their families, giving children the opportunity to become more independent, enabling them to have new experiences and form friendships outside of their families. As a short break carer you will be assessed based on your abilities to care for children with disabilities and you will also be committed to training and development in this key area. A short break carer is a family based carer who will Provide regular short breaks in your own home either during the day or night Provide care in the child s home in the daytime, evenings or overnight Be a befriender & support buddy to enable a disabled child or young person to access community activities, weekend leisure activities, play schemes, Saturday & after-school clubs Be a supporter to parents in their caring role so that the whole family can enjoy activities together Carers who are interested in this provision are encouraged to contact the Fostering Recruitment and Assessment Team. ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS FOR CARERS Lambeth Council is committed to ensuring that carers are provided with sufficient support to care for Lambeth s Looked After Children and Young People. In addition to the basic allowance above, carers are also eligible for the following additional allowances. It is the Supervising Social Worker s responsibility to respond to requests from carers for additional financial support, to determine the nature of the supports requested. Each case will be dealt with on an individual basis and the final decision will be made by the Head of Fostering, Adoption and Access to Resources. Basic furniture and equipment Carers are expected to provide basic furniture and equipment in the home. However, if the child or young person requires additional furniture and/or equipment, this should be assessed by the Supervising Social Worker as an individual package and discussed with the Team Manager. In cases where basic furniture is damaged by a child or young person in a placement, the Supervising Social Worker would assess the damage and if deemed appropriate the damage paid for at the discretion of the Head of Fostering, Adoption and Access to Resources 6

7 Payments for new placements Foster carers will be paid if Lambeth Council places a child or young person with them as an emergency placement. The emergency payment will be provided to the foster carer within 24-hours of placing the child or young person and will be arranged by the Supervising Social Worker via the Access to Resources Team. In exceptional circumstances, an additional can be paid at the discretion of the Fostering Support Team Manager. Purchase IT equipment All Looked After Children and Young People should have access to a computer whilst they are placed in foster care. Lambeth Children and Young People s Service supports this need by providing carers with a maximum of every five-years ( per year) to purchase IT and Computer Equipment and 15 a month for internet access. Carers are expected to provide receipts of purchase for any Computer and IT equipment and internet costs. These costs and payments are monitored by the Supervising Social Worker. Loyalty Payment Foster carers who meet the requirements in Section 2 of the Allowance and Payment Scheme are entitled to an annual loyalty payment of per fostering household, 12 months after their approval as a foster carer. The Supervising Social Worker is responsible for arranging the payment via the Access to Resources Team following your annual review. Respite Payments Competency approved carers will receive two weeks respite payment each financial year. (April to April). In order to qualify for this payment a child must be in placement for a minimum of 3 months within the financial year. The respite payment will consist of 2 weeks competency payment only. This does not include the Allowance for the foster child. Respite payments will not be made retrospectively and cannot be accrued. Neither will financial remuneration be made should the respite not be utilised. Referrals If a foster carer refers a prospective foster carer to the Recruitment and Assessment Team and the prospective carer is approved as a foster carer by the Lambeth Fostering Panel, the referring foster carer is entitled to receive a one off reward payment of 500 per household. The Supervising Social Worker is responsible for ensuring that the referring foster care records all relevant information in their portfolio and checking the approval of the referred applicant prior to payment being made. Mileage and subsistence payments The Allowance is meant to cover the costs of a Looked After Child s travelling needs such as travelling to school, social or cultural activities. However, sometimes contact with family members outside of a 10 mile radius from the carer s home may incur additional costs. The Supervising Social Worker is responsible for discussing any additional claims for travel costs associated with family contact with the foster carer and arranging claims via the Access to Resources Team. 7

8 School trips and visits The Allowance is meant to cover the cost of routine school outings and trips therefore all of these costs should be met by the carer. The carer is responsible for ensuring that any child or young person placed in their care participates in all routine school activities. Where the cost of a school outing is more than 100, consideration will be given to Lambeth CYPS paying for the additional costs. The foster carer is responsible for discussing all requests for additional payments with the supervising social worker. School Uniforms Carers will receive a payment of upon their foster child s transition to secondary school. This is to assist with the purchase of their school uniform. The fostering allowance is designed to meet all other clothing needs including normal wear and tear of school uniforms, social and formal attire. Additional Activities The Allowance is meant to cover the cost of general sporting, leisure and cultural activities. However, where a child or young person has a talent or interest which necessitates substantial additional costs in equipment, coaching or travel to these activities, consideration will be given to Lambeth CYPS paying for the additional costs, through the Activity Fund for Looked After Children. Such requests should be discussed with the Supervising Social Worker. Spectacles and Contact lenses If a child or young person is in need of spectacle and/or contact lenses, this will be paid in full by Lambeth CYPS. The Supervising Social Worker is responsible for obtaining an Optician s receipt from the foster carer and making the claim via the Team Manager and Access to Resources Team. Damage and Loss Carers are responsible for ensuring that their household and motor vehicles are insured appropriately. Proof of insurance must be provided. The Supervising Social Worker is responsible for discussing any claims for damage and loss with the foster carer. All claims for damage and loss will be considered by the Head of Service on a case by case basis. Children and young people who damage or lose property will be expected to make reparation through deductions from pocket money or by other means where this is reasonably practicable. 8

9 GLOSSARY OF TERMS Foster Carers Foster carers care for Looked After Children in their own home on behalf of Lambeth Council, whilst the child s own parents are unable to. Foster carers are expected to provide children and young people with an ordinary family life, until it's time for them to return home, move to a new permanent family or move on to independent living. Lambeth Fostering Service recruits Foster Carers from diverse backgrounds, race, religion, language, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, to reflect the diversity of the children who need care. Connected Person Foster Carers Connected friend foster carers replace family & friend carers under the new Fostering Services (England) Regulations Connected Person foster carers care for the children and young people from their own family or a child previously known to them when this has been assessed as being appropriate by this authority. By placing children and young people with family and friends foster carers, it enables them to continue to receive positive links to their family of origin whilst keeping them safe and protected. Children with Disabilities Foster Carers Children and young people with disabilities and special needs have significant needs which are also considered in the remuneration linked to the Foster Carer s Allowance and Payment Scheme. Payment of the disability rate is made for the care of children who have severe or profound disabilities and who are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance claimed by the carer from the Department of Work and Pensions and open to the Children with Disabilities Team. Foster carers who care for children and young people with disabilities will receive appropriate training and support from the Fostering Services and Children with Disabilities Service. Foster carers who care for children and young people with disabilities will be able to support them in reaching all of their achievable developmental outcomes. Remand Foster Carers Remand foster carers are approved, trained and supported to care for children and young people who have been remanded through the Courts, to reduce the need for these children and young people to be placed in residential settings. Remand foster carers are specially trained carers who can support and manage at risk behaviours and adhere to all relevant court sanctions. They are also expected to work closely with the Youth Offending Teams and CYPS Teams. It should be noted that family and friends carers who take a child or young person remanded through the courts are not eligible to receive the Competency Payments. They are only eligible to receive the basic fostering allowance. Mother and Baby Foster Carers Mother and baby foster carers are specifically trained to care for a mother and their baby in the foster carer s household. The mother and baby foster carer is trained to support the mother in learning how to appropriately parent her child. This would be in accordance with the care plan for the baby. It should be noted that in certain cases both the baby and the mother could be Looked After Children. 9

10 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FOSTER CARER S ALLOWANCE How often will I get paid? The carer s allowance is paid fortnightly. How will I be paid? The carer s allowance will be paid directly into their bank account. When will I receive my first payment after a child is placed in my care? An emergency payment of 100 is provided to foster carers or family and friend foster carers if Lambeth Council places a child or young person as an emergency placement. This payment is provided within 24 hours of the placement and is arranged by the Supervising Social Worker via the Access to Resources Team. The carer s allowance is paid to the carer 2-4 weeks after the child has been placed in their care. The payment is backdated to the date the child is placed in their care and is paid directly into their bank account. Is the carers allowance ever reviewed? The carers allowance is reviewed by Lambeth Council on an annual basis and amended in line with inflation. Who should I contact if am having financial difficulties and/or have not received my carers allowance? If you are having financial difficulties and/or haven t received your payment you should contact the Supervising Social Worker or the Access to Resources Team. Access to Resources Team Contacts: Babs Onasile Business Support and Information Officer Access to Resources Team Lambeth Children & Young People's Service Phone: Fax: bonasile@lambeth.gov.uk Marek Lewszuk Access to Resources Manager Access to Resources Team Lambeth Children & Young People's Service Phone: Fax: mlewszuk@lambeth.gov.uk 10

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