Foster care Allowances - Related vs Non-Related

S Davis (Account suspended) made this Freedom of Information request to Kent County Council

Waiting for an internal review by Kent County Council of their handling of this request.

From: S Davis (Account suspended)

11 March 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

Manchester City
Council – V – F
(2002) 1FLR 43;

Not all local authorities have changed their foster
care payments for related foster carers in accordance with
the Manchester City high court judgment cited above.

Can you please confirm if Kent County Council pays equal allowances
for both Related and Non- Related foster care ?

Yours faithfully,

S Davis

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Kent County Council

11 March 2009

Dear S Davis

Thank you for your email.

I acknowledge your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. Assuming we hold this information, I will endeavour
to supply the data to you as soon as possible but no later than 8th April
2009 (20 working days from date of receipt).

I will advise you as soon as possible if we do not hold this information
or if there are exemptions to be considered and/or any costs for providing
the information. Please quote our reference - FOI/09/248 - in any
communication regarding this particular request.

Best regards
Jemila Dodge
Corporate Access to Information Officer, Chief Executive's Department
Kent County Council, Legal & Democratic Services, Room 1.94, Sessions
House, County Hall, Maidstone. ME14 1XQ.
Tel: 01622 696265 - Fax: 01622 694383
[1]http://www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democ...

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Kent County Council

11 March 2009

Dear S Davis

Thank you for your email.

I acknowledge your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. Assuming we hold this information, I will endeavour
to supply the data to you as soon as possible but no later than 8th April
2009 (20 working days from date of receipt).

I will advise you as soon as possible if we do not hold this information
or if there are exemptions to be considered and/or any costs for providing
the information. Please quote our reference - FOI/09/248 - in any
communication regarding this particular request.

Best regards
Jemila Dodge
Corporate Access to Information Officer, Chief Executive's Department
Kent County Council, Legal & Democratic Services, Room 1.94, Sessions
House, County Hall, Maidstone. ME14 1XQ.
Tel: 01622 696265 - Fax: 01622 694383
[1]http://www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democ...

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Kent County Council

9 April 2009

Dear S Davis

Thank you for your request for information made under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.

Currently KCC pays equal amounts of maintenance to both Related &
Non-Related Carers, but only reward to Non-Related Carers.

Therefore the weekly amounts paid to Related Carers reflects the
maintenance, where as the weekly amounts paid to Non-Related Carers
reflect both maintenance and reward.

The weekly rates at 1st April 2009 are:

+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Age |Related |Non - Related |
| | | |
| | | |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+-----------------|
|Under 2 |126.00 |228.13 |
| | | |
| | | |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+-----------------|
|2-4 |129.22 |231.35 |
| | | |
| | | |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+-----------------|
|5-8 |144.27 |246.40 |
| | | |
| | | |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+-----------------|
|9-10 |144.27 |339.01 |
| | | |
| | | |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+-----------------|
|11-15 |163.66 |358.40 |
| | | |
| | | |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+-----------------|
|16-17 |192.71 |387.45 |
| | | |
| | | |
|-------------------------------+----------------------+-----------------|
|18+ |192.71 |387.45 |
| | | |
| | | |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+

I hope this satisfies your request. If you have a query with the
information provided, please contact me on 01622 696692. However, if you
are unhappy with this response, and believe KCC has not complied with
legislation, please ask for a review by following our complaints process;
details can be found at this link
[1]http://www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democ...
on our website. Please quote reference FOI/09/248.

If you still remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you can
appeal to the Information Commissioner, who oversees compliance with the
Freedom of Information Act 2000. Details of what you need to do, should
you wish to pursue this course of action, are available from the
Information Commissioner's website
[2]http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints/freedom...

Best regards

Michelle Hunt
Access to Information Co-ordinator
Communication & Information Governance
Children, Families & Education Directorate
Kent County Council
Room 2.35, Sessions House
Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XQ
External: 01622 696692
Internal: 7000 6692
Email: [email address]

From: S Davis [[3]mailto:[FOI #9232 email]]
Sent: 11 March 2009 14:53
To: Freedom of Information - CED
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Foster care Allowances - Related
vs Non-Related

Dear Sir or Madam,

Manchester City Council - V - F (2002) 1FLR 43;

Not all local authorities have changed their foster care payments
for related foster carers in accordance with the Manchester City
high court judgment cited above.

Can you please confirm if Kent County Council pays equal allowances
for both Related and Non- Related foster care ?

Yours faithfully,

S Davis

References

Visible links
1. http://www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democ...
http://www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democ...
2. http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints/freedom...
http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints/freedom...
3. mailto:[FOI #9232 email]
mailto:[FOI #9232 email]

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From: S Davis (Account suspended)

9 April 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Kent County Council's
handling of my FOI request 'Foster care Allowances - Related vs
Non-Related'.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/fo...

It is clear from your response that Kent County Council does not
treat or support related foster carers equally or in the same vein
financially as other Local Authorities. In fact non-related carers
who are doing exactly the same job appear to be paid virtually
double.

Yours sincerely,

S Davis

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Kent County Council

16 April 2009

Dear S Davis

Foster Care Allowances

As you are aware, the Freedom of Information Act gives you a right of
access to recorded information held by public authorities like Kent County
Council. When you make a request, you are asking for all the recorded
information Kent County Council may hold on that subject.

An internal review is the right you have to have your response to your FOI
request reviewed if you think that information has been withheld from you
inappropriately, or you believe we have failed to comply with FOI
legislation in some way. In this instance, it would seem you are
unhappy with the information we provided because you disagree with its
contents, i.e.: KCC's policies and procedures relating to foster care
allowances. As an internal review would simply look at whether we provided
information meeting the scope of your request (which we did), we believe
it more appropriate to deal with your comments in your email as a formal
complaint about KCC's operations.

Therefore, on behalf of the Chief Executive and in accordance with our
corporate complaints process
[1]http://www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democ..., I
will arrange for your comments to be investigated and will write to you
again as soon as I can, and certainly within 4 weeks of date of
receipt (by 12th May).

Yours sincerely

Corporate Access to Information Team, Chief Executive's Department
Kent County Council, Legal & Democratic Services, Room 1.94, Sessions
House, County Hall, Maidstone. ME14 1XQ.
Tel: 01622 696265 or 01622 694261 - Fax: 01622 694383
[2]http://www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democ...

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R Soles (Account suspended) left an annotation (23 April 2009)

It looks more likely that a judicial review is needed and will be very interesting to see what they come up with as an excuse for not following other counties that adhere to the correct interpretation.

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From: S Davis (Account suspended)

24 April 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

Can you please explain why Grandparents/relatives are not supported
in the same vein and with the same financial support package as
local authority foster carers receive?

Could it be that children can easily be 'fast tracked' for adoption
with strangers commonly known as
'Forced Adoption'
if they are placed with paid foster carers instead of relatives?

Yours sincerely,

S Davis

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Kent County Council

24 April 2009

Dear S Davies

Thank you for your email which clarifies the nature of your complaint. We
still hope to be in a position to reply to you by 12th May as originally
quoted in our acknowledgement but if we do anticipate any delay, we will
forewarn you accordingly.

Best regards

Corporate Access to Information Team, Chief Executive's Department
Kent County Council, Legal & Democratic Services, Room 1.94, Sessions
House, County Hall, Maidstone. ME14 1XQ.
Tel: 01622 696265 or 01622 694261 - Fax: 01622 694383
[1]http://www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democ...

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Kent County Council

14 May 2009

Attachment S 1 Appendix 2 Payments to relative friend carers Jan 07.pdf
46K Download View as HTML

Dear S Davis

Thank you for your email of 9th April 2009 asking for an internal review
of our response to your request for information reference FOI/09/248. We
explained to you in our acknowledgment that we felt it was more
appropriate to deal with your comments as a formal complaint about
KCC's operations rather than a failure to comply with the Freedom of
Information Act.

We have now investigated your comments and have provided the attached
document which addresses the issues arising from the Judgement.

I trust this is helpful and that this matter is now resolved. However, if
you consider KCC is guilty of maladministration, you should now contact
Tony Redmond, the Local Government Ombudsman, who is an independent and
impartial person, appointed by central government to investigate such
complaints. His address is: -

Local Government Ombudsman

10th Floor, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP

Phone: 020 7217 4620, Fax: 020 7217 4621

[1]http://www.lgo.org.uk/complain.htm

Or, you can phone the Local Government Ombudsman Advice Line on 0845 602
1983.

If you believe that the KCC has breached the Freedom of Information Act
2000, and that I have ignored your complaint, you should now pursue this
with the Information Commissioner.

His address is: -

FOI/EIR Complaints Resolution, Information Commissioner's Office,

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Fax: 01625 524
510

[2]http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints.aspx

Or, you can phone the ICO Helpline on 08456 30 60 60

Best regards

Corporate Access to Information Team, Chief Executive's Department
Kent County Council, Legal & Democratic Services, Room 1.94, Sessions
House, County Hall, Maidstone. ME14 1XQ.
Tel: 01622 696265 or 01622 694261 - Fax: 01622 694383
[3]http://www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democ...

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From: S Davis (Account suspended)

14 May 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,
You state your opinion below;

'we believe it more appropriate to deal with your comments in your
email
as a formal complaint about KCC's operations.'

Please remember this is only your opinion and not what was
requested i.e. being a internal review and compliance with the FOI
request.

Also supply the QC you refer to in your attached statement, which
KCC beleive prevents them from having to pay equal payments to
relatvie fostercarers; other Local Authorities apart from
Manchester appear to be able to do so.

Yours sincerely,

S Davis

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Kent County Council

15 May 2009

Dear S Davis

Thank you for your email, your comments have been noted.

If you are still unhappy you should now pursue either of the two options
stated below.

Many thanks

Corporate Access to Information Team, Chief Executive's Department
Kent County Council, Legal & Democratic Services, Room 1.94, Sessions
House, County Hall, Maidstone. ME14 1XQ.
Tel: 01622 696265 or 01622 694261 - Fax: 01622 694383
http://www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democ...
s/access-to-info.htm

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From: S Davis (Account suspended)

16 May 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

Your comments have been noted, and you should be carrying out an
internal review.

From reviewing other kent county council FOI requests it seems they
are adept at brushing off any kind of transparency into their
services.

Whatever are the Public who pay for these services to think?

Yours sincerely,

S Davis

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Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Kent County Council only: