Dear Sir

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 – Request for Information

Thank you for your information request dated 20 July 2017 and received on 20 July 2017. Our reference is FOI 2017-0696. 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 if possible.

Kind regards

Katy Russell-Duff
Administrative Officer
Corporate Services
Orkney Islands Council, Council Offices, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY
Telephone 01856 873535 Extension 2210

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Dear Sir

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 – Request for Information

I refer to your email dated 20 July 2017 and received on 20 July 2017, our reference is FOI 2017-0696.

I am pleased to give the information you requested and hope that it meets your requirements.

1) Please could you tell me your 2017-18 weekly foster care allowances for all age bands, NOT including any fee/reward element for foster carers.

Age 0-4 £142.86
Age 5-10 £162.73
Age 11-15 £202.58
Age 16 + £246.44

2) Please detail your current fee/reward structure for 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 foster carers on each level/band, including those that receive no fee on top of the child’s allowance.

Some foster carers receive an additional fee of £100 per week whilst they have a child placed with them, irrespective of the number of children they have in placement. We have 6 number of foster carers who receive this extra fee.

3) Please could you tell me your weekly allowances to former foster carers looking after young people in 16+/18+ Continuing Care arrangements, broken down by year 1, year 2, and year 3+ if necessary.

We do not have any former foster carers looking after young people in these situations.

4) Please detail your current fee/reward structure for former foster carers looking after young people in 16+/18+ Continuing Care arrangements. Please include:
i) Details of the levels/bands and how much you pay per week at each level/band.
ii) The number of former foster carers on each level/band, including those that receive no fee on top of the child’s allowance.

We do not have a fee structure in place as yet for these circumstances.

You have the right to request a review of the decision if you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your request. Please write to: Head of Legal Services, Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY or email to [Orkney Islands Council request email] to make this request. The law gives you up to 60 working days from when we received your enquiry or 40 working days from when you receive this correspondence, whichever is the later date.

Where the outcome of the review fails to resolve the matter to your complete satisfaction you have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision, within six months of the date of the decision to a request for a review, or within six months from when we should have responded to your request for a review, whichever is the later date.

Kind regards

George Vickers
Information Governance Officer
Corporate Services
Orkney Islands Council, Council Offices, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY
Telephone: 01856 873535 Extension: 2162
www.orkney.gov.uk