Foster care allowances 2023/24
Dear Orkney Islands Council,
We are seeking to understand the way in which your foster carers are being paid in your service. The department which would know this information would be within social services in your fostering team.
The information we require is:
For your mainstream foster carer population (general/unconnected carers) the basic weekly allowances paid for 2023/24 per age bracket for all age bands. NOT including any fee/reward element for foster carers.
Please detail any other allowances paid for children living in mainstream foster care in addition to their weekly allowance, for example religious festival, holiday, birthday, other. Please detail the amount paid and the frequency foster carers can receive these.
Please detail any additional allowances or fees paid to for children with additional support needs or disabilities.
Your current fee/reward structure for mainstream foster carers (NB this is different to allowances for the child). Please include:
i) Details of the levels/bands for carers and how much you pay per week at each level/band.
ii) The number of mainstream foster carers on each level/band, including those that receive no fee on top of the child’s allowance.
Your 2023-24 weekly allowances for former foster carers looking after young people in 16+ Continuing Care arrangements, broken down by year 1, year 2, and year 3 if necessary.
Your 2023-24 weekly fee payments for former foster carers looking after young people in 16+ Continuing Care arrangements, broken down by year 1, year 2, and year 3 if necessary.
Yours faithfully,
Sammy Matthews
The Fostering Network
Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
Dear Madam
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 – Request for Information
Thank you for your information request dated 12 April 2023 and received on 12 April 2023. Our reference is FOI 2023-0428. This is being dealt with under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
We are considering your request. We may be in touch soon to ask for further clarification or to offer advice and assistance if we are not able to fulfil your request in its present form.
The legislation allows us up to 20 working days from the date that we receive a valid request, including any clarification we need to make a final response. We will be in touch within 20 working days of receipt of your initial request to provide our response or to seek clarification where necessary. We hope to give you the information you are looking for at an earlier date
Kind Regards
Ann Muir
Administrative Assistant
Strategy, Performance & Business Solutions
Orkney Islands Council, Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY
Tel: 01856 873535 ext 2248
Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
Dear Sir/Madam
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 – Request for Information
I refer to your email dated 12 April 2023 and received on 12 April 2023, our reference is FOI 2023-0428.
I am pleased to give the information you requested and hope that it meets your requirements.
Additional allowances that can be claimed or requested include:
See documents attached for details.
Any additional allowances or fees paid to for children with additional support needs or disabilities:
Children will additional support needs would usually be cared for by our intensive foster carers, who receive £2515.33 per month. The foster carer may also be eligible for disability living allowance for their child, which they would have to apply for separately.
Your current fee/reward structure for mainstream foster carers (NB this is different to allowances for the child). Please include:
i) Details of the levels/bands for carers and how much you pay per week at each level/band.
• Intensive foster carers receive £2515.33 per month
• Mainstream foster carers receive:
0-4 years £142.86 per week
5-10 year £162.73 per week
11-15 years £202.58 per week
16+ years £246.44
The foster carers would receive a percentage of the above amounts, according to the number of nights/days the child stays with them. Therefore the fee is calculated and divided by 7. In addition if a foster carer has been approved for over a year, they are entitled to £100 weekly approved fee, if they have a child in their care.
ii) The number of mainstream foster carers on each level/band, including those that receive no fee on top of the child’s allowance.
This not applicable to Orkney as we do not have levels or bands for foster carers.
Your 2023-24 weekly allowances for former foster carers looking after young people in 16+ Continuing Care arrangements, broken down by year 1, year 2, and year 3 if necessary.
These allowances are covered within the 16+ allowances.
Your 2023-24 weekly fee payments for former foster carers looking after young people in 16+ Continuing Care arrangements, broken down by year 1, year 2, and year 3 if necessary.
£246.44 per week
Under FOISA, if you are dissatisfied with our response, you may ask the Council to review its handling of your request. If you wish to do this, you should make your request for review within 40 working days of receiving this email. Please make your request for review to Service Manager (Governance), Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY or email to [Orkney Islands Council request email]. Your request must be in permanent form (letter, email, audio tape etc) and should state:
That you are asking for a review of this decision, and
Why you are unhappy with the response you have received.
We will issue a full response to your request for review within 20 working days of our receiving it.
Where the outcome of the review fails to resolve the matter to your complete satisfaction, you then have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision. You have six months in which to do so following receipt of our review outcome – see www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal.
Regards
Paul Kesterton
Information Governance Officer
Strategy, Performance & Business Solutions
Orkney Islands Council, Council Offices, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY
Telephone: 01856 873535 Extension: 2241
www.orkney.gov.uk
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