Final Placements Allowances Rates 2023 2024.pdf

LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN AND
PERMANENCY SERVICE

FOSTERING ALLOWANCES
RATES AND GUIDANCE 2023 – 2024

Updated: 1st April 2023
By: Diana Adigbli (Team Manager, Fostering Support and Assessment Team A)

Social Care Policies and Procedures
Title: Fostering Allowances - RATES AND GUIDANCE
1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023


Introduction

This  document  is  designed  to  make  explicit  all  the  financial  arrangements  for  the  care  of
children  who  are  looked  after  by  the  Brent  Council.  It  is  very  important  that  you  read  and
understand this comprehensive guide, as it will clarify the use of all placements allowances.
If  you  have  any  concerns  about  the  management  of  your  allowance,  then  this  should  be
discussed with your supervising social worker who will be able to help you.
We  recognise  the  importance  of  ensuring  that  children  and  young  people  in  our  care  are
provided  with  good  levels  of  support.  The  foster  carer  allowances  and  fees  have  been
increased  in  line  with  those  recommended  by the  Fostering  Network  this  year,  which  is  an
increase  of  1%.    We  have  reviewed  fees  and  allowances  provided  to  all  our  carers,  to
benchmark these in line with that provided by neighbouring boroughs to ensure that we have
competitive rates.

1.1  Foster Carers Charter
Brent  Social  Care  has  developed  a  charter  in  consultation  with  foster  carers  and  other
stakeholders and expects all foster carers to meet its recommendation and will support and
assist  carers  in  order  to  achieve  this.  A  copy  of  the  charter  can  be  located  on  Brent’s
website: https://brent.gov.uk/fostering

1.2  Responsibility for funding
Foster  carers  are  advised  that  discussions  regarding  allowances  or  fees  should  always  be
made first with their Supervising Social Worker who then may need to liaise with the child’s
allocated  Social  Worker.    Foster  carers  should  always  refer  any  discussion  they  may  have
with  the  child’s  allocated  Social  Worker  to  their  Supervising  Social  Worker  and  wherever
possible, make a log of this in their diary.

It is expected that foster carers will budget according to their individual child/young person’s
needs.   It  is  also  important to  clarify  at  the  Placement Information Meeting  if  there  are  any
additional financial requirements for which alternative funding may be needed.  Request for
such  additional  expenses  would  need  to  be  agreed  via  the  child/young  person’s  Social
Worker,  Team  manager,  and  Service  Manager/Head  of  service  for  Looked  after  Children
and Permanency Service.

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Social Care Policies and Procedures
Title: Fostering Allowances - RATES AND GUIDANCE
1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023

1.3  General Principles
Foster carers will receive an allowance for the periods that they are caring for a child/young
person and payments are calculated on a daily rate (1/7th of the weekly rate shown in all the
tables  in  this  document).  If  a  child/young  person  returns  home  on  the  day  of  placement,
there wil  be a minimum of one day’s payment made.

Foster  carers  are  given  some  discretion  in  their  use  of  the  allowances  but  there  is  an
expectation that foster carers will be able to demonstrate that they have used the allowance
appropriately in meeting the child/young person’s needs.  For example, a child/young person
has  appropriate  clothing,  is  well  fed  and  has  pocket  money  according  to  their  age  and
needs; savings have been made for the child/young person.  Receipts can be requested, as
evidence of expenditure used.

To help ensure that foster  carers, children, young people and other professionals are clear
on what the allowance should cover, we have outlined the areas that foster carers need to
consider  when  budgeting  (see  *guidance  on  suggested  allowance  breakdown).  The
guidance  breaks  down  suggested  spending  on  food,  household  costs,  clothing/leisure,
pocket  money/savings,  travel,  etc.  However,  please  note  that  this  is  a  guide  and  the  way
allowances are spent may differ from child to child.

Types of Allowances

Rates of weekly fostering allowance

Weekly Fostering Allowance
Age band
Allowance
Allowance
+
fee  Allowance
+
fee
(level 1)
(level 2 -£66.14)
(level 3 -£88.18)
0 – 4
£182.00
£248.14
£270.18
5 – 10
£203.00
£269.14
£291.18
11 – 15
£251.94
£318.08
£340.12
16+
£306.00
£372.14
£394.18

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Social Care Policies and Procedures
Title: Fostering Allowances - RATES AND GUIDANCE
1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023

Fostering Allowance Breakdown Table

Weekly estimated allowance breakdown based on (a) – (f) approx.
Age  band  Food
and  Household  Clothing
Leisure  up  Pocket
Travel
and
Misc  (a)
costs    and  (c)
to
money
up  to
Allowance
Savings
(d)
up  to  (e)  (f)
(b)
(0-10
and
(11+)
0 to 4
£65.02
£68.65
£19.33
£10.00
£5.00
£14.00
£182.00
5 to 10
£74.12
£73.88
£22.00
£13.00
£5.00
£15.00
£203.00
11 to 15
£94.45
£92.49
£25.00
£15.00
£10.00
£15.00
£251.94
16+
£112.37
£107.63
£30.00
£20.00
£15.00
£18.00
£306.00

The allowance scheme no longer differentiates the rates paid to foster carers, whether they
are  short,  respite  or  long  term.  The  rates  of  payment  are  determined  by  the  age  of  the
child/young person and a change of rate wil  occur automatically if a child’s birthday means
they go into the next band.  It is important to note that the full allowance is given tax-free to
all foster carers, whether family and friends’ foster carers or unrelated foster carers, but both
fee elements are subject to income tax. All carers can approach Fostering Network or Inland
Revenue for further information on how to set themselves up to pay this income tax.

1.4  Payments for Birthday, Festivals and Holidays
The local authority will make specific one off payments for the child/young person for special
occasions  throughout  the  year  (see  table  below).  Money  for  the  child/young  people’s
birthday, will be automatically paid to all carers every year at the specified time in the year.
Foster  carers  are  advised  to  talk  with  their  Supervising  Social  Worker  if  a  payment  for  the
child/young person’s birthday is not received. With regards to request for holiday payments,
there  has  been  no  change  in  the  way  in  which  we  administer  this  and  foster  carers  are
advised  to  speak  to  their  Supervising  Social  Worker  prior  to  the  holiday  being  planned.
Foster Carers have a responsibility to ensure that this entitlement is requested during each
financial year as this cannot be backdated, neither can payments be accrued.

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Social Care Policies and Procedures
Title: Fostering Allowances - RATES AND GUIDANCE
1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023

Age band
Birthday
Festivity
Holiday
Children 0-5
£25
£25
£100
less than 6
months in care
Children  0-5
£50
£50
£200
more than 6
months in care
Children 6-18
£50
£50
£150.00
less than 6
months in care
Children 6-18
£100
£100
£300
more than 6
months in care
1.4.1  Birthdays
Where a child/young person has been in placement for less than 6 months, the foster carer
will receive £50 for children 6 years and over. This money is to be used towards the cost of
celebrating  the  child/young  person’s  birthday  celebrations  and  purchase  of  a  birthday
present.  Where  the  child/young  person  6  years  and  over  has  been  in  placement  for  more
than  6  months,  the  foster  carer  will  receive  £100.  The  last  payment  of  birthday  money  is
given in relation to a child’s 18th birthday. Please refer to table above for the payments for
children 0-5 years.

1.4.2  Holidays
The foster carer may opt for a break with the child/young person placed in which case they
will  continue  to  receive  the  fostering  allowance  for  the  child/young  person  placed  and  in
addition the foster carer will also receive the holiday allowance for the child. In such cases,
once the foster carer is aware of the dates and details of the holiday, they should inform their
Supervising Social Worker. In the event that the holiday is a greater cost than the available
allowance,  consideration  could  be  given  for  additional  financial  support.  However,  these
circumstances have to be exceptional and can only be agreed by the Head of Service.

The  allowances  no  longer  include  money  for  holidays.  The  expectation  is  that  the  foster
carer  will  have  had  a  discussion  with  their  Supervising  Social  Worker  and  provide  the
department with evidence of booked/paid holiday with itinerary and confirmation of the cost

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Social Care Policies and Procedures
Title: Fostering Allowances - RATES AND GUIDANCE
1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023

of the holiday. In some instances, additional information may be needed before agreement is
given. Once this has been agreed, your Supervising Social Worker will process the request.

We would expect that the costs of different holidays will vary in  price, but most child/young
people  holiday  places  are  within  this  amount.  Please  note  that  although  the  ceiling  for  the
amount of money that can be given is set (see table), this does not mean that if a request is
put in, the foster carer will automatically receive the full amount. For example: if the cost of
the holiday is £100 the carer will be given this amount and not the full £300. However, if you
are  planning  a  holiday  which  cost  over  the  amount,  you  may  need  to  consider  putting  the
surplus  monies  from  the  allowances  that  have  not  been  used.  For  example:  if  the
child/young  person  does  not  engage  in  leisure  activities,  then  this  money  could  be
contributed towards the holiday.

Also,  please  ensure  that  all  receipts/invoices  are  kept  and  maintained,  as  it  is  upon
presentation  of  these,  that  the  money  for  holidays  will  be  processed.  Foster  carers  should
note that we can only pay what the actual amount of spend is and not the full entitlement, if
not spent.

1.4.3  Festivals
As we are a very diverse borough, we have children/young people who come from a variety
of cultural backgrounds. The weekly allowance no longer includes a contribution towards the
cost  of  celebrations  for  festivals,  such  as  Christmas  and  Eid.  The  expectation  is  that  the
foster carer will request this and upon request, the supervising social worker will process the
request. The local Authority will then make this specific one-off payment for the child/young
person for special occasions throughout the year. The payments are similar to payments for
birthdays  i.e.  with  the  exception  of  children  0-5  years  old,  if  the  child  has  been  in  care  for
less than 6 months they will receive £50; for more than 6 months it will be £100. Please note
that if a request is made for a child under the age of 5 years old, you will have to ensure that
you keep all receipts or evidence of how the money has been spent.

In  instances  where  the  child  is  not  practising,  no  payment  will  be  made  and  please  be
reminded  that  festival  payments  are  paid  for  each  year  and  not  per  festival  or  celebration.
Therefore, the foster carer needs to ensure that they budget for each event.

In  all  cases  foster  carers  are  advised  that  they  may  be  asked  to  account  for  how  these
allowances have been used.

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Social Care Policies and Procedures
Title: Fostering Allowances - RATES AND GUIDANCE
1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023

1.5  Enhanced Fostering Allowance
Brent  local  authority  offers  an  enhanced fostering  allowance,  which  is  paid  to foster  carers
who  have  the  skills  to  care  for  child/young  people  who  have  additional  needs,  including
disabled  children.  Enhanced  fostering  allowances  are  subjected  to  regular  reviews  and
subject to change, according to the child/young person’s needs and have to be agreed via a
panel of senior managers.

The Enhanced Fostering Allowance recognise:

•  The  additional  demands  on  a  fostering  household  in  order  to  support  placement
stability.
•  The opportunities for children/young people with these needs to remain within, or in
close proximity, to Brent.
•  Foster  carers  who  are  particularly  skilled  in  a  specific  area  i.e.:  nurse  or  Police
Officer.

Foster carers need to be available for meetings, to care for child/young people who are not
at school/college or who have been excluded and to attend on-going medical appointments.

The  enhanced  allowance  request  is  subject  to  regular  review.  Usually,  only  foster  carers
operating  at  level  3  of  the  fee/reward  structure  will  be  eligible  for  placements  of  this  type.
Foster  carers  who  receive  the  fostering  enhanced  allowances  may  be  required  to  provide
personal care and/or supervision on a constant basis and in excess of that associated with a
child/young person of a similar age.

As the needs of the child/young people are different, the foster carers may be supported by
a  range  of  professionals  who  will  be  on  hand  to  advise,  offer  support  and  guidance  when
ever  needed.  There  is  scope  for  the  foster  carer’s  nominated  carer  to  undertake  specific
tasks for an additional payment, which is to be agreed in advance with the Team Manager or
Commissioning  Team  Manager,  who  is  part  of  the  Commissioning  Services.  We  are  also
supported from existing short term foster carers who have a wealth of knowledge and skills,
for example: providing respite services for children who are not at school or nursery, where
the main foster carer has competing tasks.

Additional needs include but are not limited to:

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Social Care Policies and Procedures
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•  Learning disability (low to moderate disability or difficulty)
•  Physical disability (severe disability or difficulty)
•  Acute or chronic illness (life threatening condition or limited life expectancy)
•  Extreme emotional or behavioural difficulties.

The enhanced allowances have been separated into two different tiers (see table below).

Enhanced Foster Care Weekly Allowance
Age band   Allowance inclusive of £88.18 fee
0 - 10
£422.92
11 - 17
£506.00

1.6  Long-Term Fostering and Connected Person Payments
The  allowance  provided  for  child/young  people  in  long-term  foster  care  and  connected
person fostering settings are the same as for short term foster placements.

Connected  person  foster  payments  will  commence  on  the  date  that  the  child  becomes
formally  accommodated  by  the  Local  Authority  and  when  this  decision  has  been
documented  in  writing  by  the  relevant  Social  Work  Manager.    Payments  forms  will  be
completed  by  the  Assessing  Social  Worker  at  the  point  at  which  the  placement  has
commenced  (usually  from  the  Kinship  Care  Team).  However,  in  some  instances  if  we  are
not able to immediately set you up on the BACs system, we will issue you with a cash card
and make payments through this method, until the setting up process has been completed.

1.7  Out of Hours Fostering Allowances (EDT)
Where a placement is made via EDT, an increased payment will be given, to recognise the
disruption  this  causes  to  foster  carers  when  placements  take  place  out  of  hours.  The
allowance given is a set amount and the out of hour’s rate will be paid for a maximum of four
weeks.  If  the  child/  young  person  continues  to  require  a  placement  and  remains  with  the
carer the allowance will  revert to the standard rate appropriate to the child/ young person’s
age on the 5th week.

The  EDT  list  runs  from  Friday  through  to  Thursday  every  week  and  foster  carers  with  a
fostering  vacancy  will  be  contacted  every  week  to  check/confirm  their  availability  for

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emergency placements. The expectation is that if you have placed yourself on the EDT list,
you will be available to take an emergency placement.  Newly approved  foster carers could
be considered to be placed on the EDT list, following careful  consultation with the relevant
Assessing Social Worker and Team Manager.

The local authority will consider how we can offer Brent foster carers additional support if an
emergency  placement  is  made  e.g.,  in  the  form  of  weekend  visits,  possible  support  re
difficult  transport  arrangements  (transport  to  contact/therapy;  or  to/from  schools  out  of  the
area etc.).   We will consider whether we can elicit the support of other Brent foster carers to
assist in these tasks.

Where  foster  carers  state  that  they  are  able  to  accept  an  emergency  placement  and  they
require clothes for the child/young person they may purchase essential items up to the sum
of £50 per child. Foster carers will be expected to show evidence of appropriate emergency
expenditure in the form of receipts for auditing purposes and reimbursement.
*Outside of office hours is Monday to Friday after 5pm and before 9am and from Friday 5pm
to Monday 9am.

1.8  Parent/s and Child Placements
Where a parent and child are placed together and the child is not looked after, a foster carer
will  be  paid  the  enhanced  allowance  to  reflect  the  increased  cost  to  the  carer.  However,
there may be the need for further discussions to be undertaken, as the allowance given does
not include the needs of the baby.

If  both  the  parent  and  child  are  looked  after,  age-appropriate  fostering  allowance  for  two
placements in line with the rates and guidance will be made to the foster carer.

The  expectation  is  that any  equipment  that  is  required for  the  baby  will  be  provided  by the
local  authority.  However,  the  responsibility  for  providing  equipment  is  dependent  on  the
status  of  the  placement.  For  example:  if  both  parent  and  child  are  looked  after,  the
placements service is responsible. If the child is not looked after, the expectations is that the
parent  will  provide  the  equipment that  is  required.  However,  in  all  instances,  at the  time  of
the placement planning, there should be discussions and decisions made with the relevant
Team Manager, so to avoid any confusion/expectations.

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1.9  Retainer Fees
The decision to make a payment of a fee to retain any placement for any period of time will
be  taken  on  an  individual  case  by  case  basis  and  will  be  made  by  the  relevant  Team
manager  in  consultation  with  the  Service  Manager  or  Head  of  Service,  for  Looked  after
Children and Permanency Service.  All retainer fee arrangements are subject to change and
dependent on the needs of the child/young person. For example: a carer may be placed on a
retainer for a specific period, whilst assessments are ongoing. In the event that the retainer
is to cease, you wil  be notified and given at least one weeks’ notice informing you of the end
date. There may be situations where the case would have to be presented to the Children’s
placement panel for funding approval.

1.10  Shared Care
Situations  where  care  of  a  child/young  person  is  shared,  for  example,  when  a  child/young
person  spends  the  weekdays  at  Boarding  School  or  periods  of  time  with  their  birth  family,
allowances  will  be  paid  at  the  daily  rate  according  to  the  times  the  foster  carer  is  looking
after the child/young person.

Additional adjustments may need to be made to provide for appropriate pocket money and
clothing;  these  issues  should  be  discussed  at  the  Placement  Information  Record  Meeting
(PIR) or at the next available supervisory visit.

Financial support for foster carers
1.11  Foster carers’ allowances and fees
The  financial  support  available  to  foster  carers  have  been  separated  into  three  different
levels. The fostering allowances are solely to meet the needs of the child/young person. The
fee is paid to foster carers in recognition of their skills and contribution to Brent.

Level one – this is the allowance element as set out in government guidance. It is payable
to all new carers, whether Special Guardians (pre-SG order), family and friends foster carers
(pre-approval), unrelated foster carers (pre-approval) or Fostering for Adoption carers, and is
designed to meet the costs of caring for the child with no discrimination on the grounds of a
pre-existing relationship with the child. Brent’s weekly allowance is greater than the amount
advised  by  Fostering  Network.  The  amount  paid  is  based  on  the  age  of  the  child  and
recognises that these carers will have had no training or assessment. Brent therefore treats
all carers, whether kinship or unrelated the same at this stage.

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1.12  Minimum weekly allowance
The minimum allowance you’l  get depends on where you live and the age of the child you
care for.

Age 0 to 2
Age 3 to 4
Age 5 to 10
Age 11 to 15
Age 16 to 17
London
£179
£182
£203
£232
£270
South East
£171
£177
£195
£223
£260
Rest of England
£154
£159
£175
£199
£233
These figures are for the tax year from 6 April 2023 to 5 April 2024. They’re updated every
April.

See the link : https://www.gov.uk/foster-carers/help-with-the-cost-of-fostering

Level two – this is the allowance described above plus a discretionary fee element paid by
Brent  that  acknowledges  the  learning  and  development  undertaken  since  the  child  first
moved  to  live  with  the  carer;  this  fee  is  awarded  upon  evidence  of  the  additional
learning/development  being  provided  via  a  Personal  Development  Plan.  There  is  no  legal
requirement  on  any  agency  to  pay  this  additional  fee.  The  family  and  friends  foster  carers
and unrelated foster carers wil  have undertaken kinship induction or ‘skil s to foster’ training,
mandatory training (as a minimum, first aid specific to the age of children placed with them,
safeguarding training tailored to the age/experience of the children placed with them, health
and  safety  training  and  safer  care  training)  to  receive  this  fee  element  on  top  of  the
allowance.

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Level three – this is the Level one allowance plus a greater discretionary fee element paid
by  Brent  that  acknowledges  the  continued  learning  and  development  undertaken  by  the
carer – this level of fee is awarded upon evidence of completion of the Training Support and
Development  (TSD)  Standards  workbook.  There  is  no  legal  requirement  on  any  agency  to
pay this greater additional fee, however it is the government’s view that al  foster carers who
are  approved  under  the  Fostering  Services  Regulations  should  complete  the  TSD
Standards,  which  are  designed  to  equip  all  foster  carers  with  the  skills  and  knowledge  to
provide high quality care to the children they look after. The TSD Standards are also now a
requirement  of  the  National  Minimum  Standards  (Fostering).  Completion  of  the  TSD
Standards is a requirement for all approved foster carers, whether family and friends foster
carers or unrelated foster carers, in England and is referenced within the National Minimum
Standards  for  Fostering  Services  2011.  There  is  acknowledgement  that  unrelated  foster
carers who have completed the full development and assessment process prior to any child
being  placed  with  them  wil   have  gained  more  learning  during  this  time  than  ‘family  and
friends’ foster carers. Unrelated foster carers are therefore only given 12 months to complete
the  TSD  Standards  workbook,  whereas  ‘family  and  friends’  foster  carers  are  given  18
months, to acknowledge that they may not have undertaken as much training pre-the child or
young  person  being  placed  with  them,  as  is  required  of  an  unrelated  foster  carer.  This
additional Level three fee element is only awarded once the TSD Standards workbook  has
been  completed  successfully  and  an  annual  review  undertaken  to  explore  how  the  carers
have  embedded  their  learning  into  their  ‘fostering’  practice,  whether  they  are  ‘family  and
friends’ or unrelated foster carers.

Expenditure, Covered By Foster Carers Allowance

Brent  approved  foster  carers  are  expected  to  make  provision  for  the  following  costs
associated with caring for a child/young person. The local authority have provided the foster
carers  with  an  allowance  which  is  sufficient  to  meet  all  of  the  child/young  person’s  weekly
needs.

When  the  placement  information  record  meeting  takes  place  there  will  be  discussion
regarding  the  various  amounts  of  allowance  that  will  be  given  to  the  child/young  person.
However, there may be instances when the amounts have to be increased or varied. This is
because  the  amounts  are  based  upon  the  individual  needs  of  the  child/young  person  and
may vary from placement to placement.

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We  have  suggested  some  levels  of  expenditure  as  a  guide  as  this  is  often  requested  by
foster  carers  and  helps  to  give  foster  carers  and  Supervising  Social  Workers  a  clear
expectation about the allowance.

1.13  Payments for School Run
In  exceptional  circumstances  it  may  be  necessary  for  another  foster  carer  to  carry  out  this
task. Where this is agreed, the foster carer who is doing the school run will be paid a flat rate
of no less than £15 to a maximum of £25 per day following approval by a Team Manager. If
there is more than one child attending the same school, the rate will remain the same.

1.14  Pocket Money
All child/young people that are looked after should receive pocket money according to their
age. As such, it is clearly understood and agreed that foster carers will provide child/young
person in their care with weekly pocket money out  of the  allowance they receive.  In some
cases such as children aged 0 to 4 years old, this is not relevant, however the expectation is
that  the  money  should  be  put  aside  from  the  foster  carer’s  allowance  and  included  on  the
savings for the child/young person.

The  table  below  represents  suggested  amounts  for  pocket  money.  However,  foster  carers
and Social Workers are strongly advised to discuss the appropriate pocket money level with
parents  and  young  people  at  the  placement  agreement  meeting  and  to  ensure  that  the
amount  provides  for  continuity  within  the  home  situation  and  consistency  within  the  foster
carer’s own family situation.

Weekly Suggested Amount Of Pocket Money
Age band
Amount per week
*0 - 4
£5.00
5 - 10
£5.00
11 - 15
£10.00
16 - 18
£15.00

*For  young  children  aged  0-4 years  where they will  not  be  of  an  age  to understand
this, the  Foster  Carer  should  use  this money to provide  the child  with  toys,  or  alternatively

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collect the money in a money box for the child. The Supervising Social Worker / Foster Carer
/ Child’s Social Worker wil  monitor how this money is spent.

If  a  foster  carer  feels  that  a  young  person  is  misusing  the  pocket  money  this  must  be
discussed  with  the  Supervising  Social  Worker  and  the  child’s  social  worker  and  possible
alternative arrangements agreed i.e. increase in savings amount instead. It is imperative that
foster carers consult with the child’s Social Worker prior to the withdrawal of pocket money,
so to avoid any confusion with the reasons why the pocket money has been withdrawn.

Where child/young people have broken items, it might be appropriate that they make some
kind of reparation with their pocket money; this must be agreed with the Supervising Social
Worker in advance and documented.

1.15  Lunch Money
Foster  carers  are  expected  to  pay  for  school  lunches  from  within  their  allowance.  When
children/young people are not in school and on holidays/half terms, it is the responsibility of
the  foster  carer  to  ensure  that  should  the  child/young  person  who  attend  a  play  school  or
activity centre, are provided with lunch or money to purchase lunch.

1.16  Top Up For Mobile Phone
Where confirmed at a placement agreement meeting a top up amount of no more than £5.00
or a £5.00 phone card should be given per week to each child/young person placed.   If the
foster child/young people choose to use their pocket money to add to this amount then this is
acceptable (any excessive expenditure will need to be monitored by the foster carer and any
action  to  address  concerns  should  be  done  in  consultation  with  the  Supervising  Social
Worker).  Where  it  is  the  case  of  a  younger  child,  who  does  not  have  access  to  a  mobile
phone, the expectation is that the foster carer will allow the child to use their own mobile or a
phone within the home.

In  some  instances,  the  child’s  Social  Worker  may  ask  for  the  child/young  people  to  have
access via Skype. Appropriate agreements must be given but any additional cost that could
be incurred; consideration must be given to using part of the fostering allowances which is
not being used. However, if the amount is excessive, this must be agreed prior to the contact
taking  place.  Foster  carers  should  always  take  into  consideration  safer  care  for
children/young people in placement using mobile phones.

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1.17  Toiletries, Hair and Personal Care
The  foster  carers’  allowance  is  sufficient  to  cover  the  costs  of  these  items.  It  may  be
appropriate for most young people who are learning independent skills, to take responsibility
for buying their own toiletries. This should always be discussed and agreed at the placement
agreement  meeting  where  a  record  is  made  specifying  the  amount  that  has  been  agreed.
This  arrangement  should  be  reviewed  on  a  regular  bass,  as  the  needs  of  the  child/young
person may change.

1.18  Savings for All Looked After Children
Brent Council wants to promote good budgeting skills for children and young people. It is the
responsibility  of  all  Brent  foster  carers  to  endeavour  to  teach  Looked  after  Children  good
financial  management  as  part  of  their  independent  living  skills.    As  an  integral  part  of  this
process, it is expected that all foster carers will open a savings account for any child/young
person placed in their care (wherever possible).

We are aware that foster carers have faced challenges with trying to open savings account
for children/young people in particular when they have no documents. If children and young
people do not have an established savings scheme, then the foster carer will be expected to
set  up  a  Post  Office  savings  account  for  every  child  placed.  The  account  is  held  in  the
child/young person’s name; therefore, the interest is not taxable. This account can become a
trust account with the foster carer becoming the trustee if appropriate. This should always be
discussed with your Supervising Social Worker who will advise you if there are any problems
in doing this.

We  advise  foster  carers  to  make  savings  for  child/young/people  in  line  with  the  Fostering
Guidance  (see  table  below)  unless  there  are  compelling  reasons  otherwise.    Any  such
issues  must  be  discussed  and  agreed  with  your Supervising  Social  Worker.   Foster  carers
are  advised  to  set  up  appropriate  savings  schemes  in  line  with  what  they  may  have
established for their own children. Child/young people’s savings should not be withheld by a
foster carer as a sanction.

Arrangements  for  deposits  should  be  clearly  identified  and  agreed  by  the  foster  carer,  the
child/young person and the Supervising Social Worker.  The expectation is that at the end of
the  placement,  the  foster  carer  should  hand  over  the  savings  book  or  account,  the  total
contents,  i.e.  cheque  or  bankers  draft,  ensuring  that  they  get  a  signed  receipt  from  the
Supervising  Social  Worker  or  child’s  Social  Worker  on  provision  of  the  final  balance.  In

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instances  when  savings  are  not  given,  the  local  authority  will  endeavour  to  retrieve  any
outstanding savings owed in line with the Foster Carers’ Agreement.

Weekly Suggested Amount Of Savings
Age band   Amount per week
0 - 4
£9.66
5 - 10
£11.02
11 - 15
£13.72
16 - 18
£16.66

1.19  Withdrawal of Savings
There  may  be  special  circumstances,  which  may  require  the  withdrawal  of  a  specific  sum
from the child/young person’s savings account, such as provision of a musical instrument or
a laptop.  Any extraordinary decisions with regards to how foster carers save or withdrawal
of savings must be discussed with the Supervising Social Worker and child’s Social Worker
and agreed at Team Manager level and documented on the child’s/foster carer’s file.

1.20  Education
The  basic  allowance  is  calculated  to  cover  expenses  relating  to  educational  costs  such  as
books, trips, school photos, etc. Therefore, the expectation is that the foster carer will ensure
that the child/young person they look after have access to all equipment that is required.

1.21  Household Costs
An element of the allowance is designed to cover reasonable wear and tear in the home of
the  carer  for  Children  Looked  After  by  the  Local  Authority.  However,  this  must  be
discretionary, and the foster carer should be able to demonstrate how the allowances were
used, if requested.

1.22  School summer/ Half Term Holiday Periods
There  are  no  additional  allowances  provided  during  the  school  holiday  periods.    Foster
carers  should  consider  how  they  will  budget  for  an  increased  expenditure  during  these
periods.
The following table (based upon a 52-week cycle) gives an idea of what sum would need to
be saved to ensure sufficient funding for these periods and will give you sufficient funding to
cover these.

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*National holidays cover Easter, Public holidays etc.
Age band
Weekly
saving
for
half  Yearly total amount saved
term/summer/national holidays
0 to 4
£4.00
£232
5 to 10
£6.00
£312
11 to 16
£7.00
£364
16 to 18
£8.00
£416

1.23  Leisure and Out of School Activities
It is the expectation that the foster carer’s allowance will cover funding for different activities
such  as  cinema  trips,  after  school  clubs,  specific  children’s  interests  e.g.  sports,  music  or
drama.  Foster  carers  are  expected  to  encourage  the  development  of  each  child/young
person in placement and recognise their differences and interests.

1.24  Provision of Clothing Allowance
Foster Carers are expected to maintain a child/young person’s wardrobe, ensuring that they
have a reasonable selection of casual and smart clothes, their school uniform, a warm coat
and appropriate footwear. There may be occasions when the child/young person requires a
major purchase such as a new coat, blazer,  and suit or smart outfit for a special occasion,
trainers or shoes. The expectation is that the amount set aside for clothing will be discussed
within your supervision visits with your Supervising Social Worker.

1.25  Emergency Clothing Allowance
It  is  expected  that  an  acceptable  amount  of  clothing  will  be  obtained  from  the  child/young
person’s  home  or  their  previous  placement  before  the  child  joins  the  foster  carers.    If
adequate clothing is not available, then an emergency clothing allowance can be considered
and the sum wil  be agreed on an individual basis based on the child/young person’s need.
This  will  rarely  be  applicable  to  long  term  foster  carers  where  children’s  placements  are
planned.

Payment  can  be made  in  two  different  ways.  If the  foster  carer  has  already  purchased  the
items,  reimbursement  will  be  given  once  the  receipts  are  received.  Alternatively,  we  may
agree  to  put  the  sum  on  the  cash  card,  which  most  foster  carers  have  issued  to  them.
Depending  on  the  circumstance,  the  clothing  allowance  paid  upfront  will  be  recouped from
the fostering allowance over an agreed period as the fostering allowance covers clothing.

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There  needs  to  be  close  liaison  between  your  Supervising  Social  Worker  and  the
child/young  person’s  Social  Worker,  as  your  Supervising  Social  Worker  will  complete  the
paperwork  to  ensure  that  the  payment  is  made.  Evidence  of  clothing  purchased  may  be
required upon request (see section on keeping receipts and accountability).

The recommended amount given for an emergency clothing allowance is varied and differs
from  the  age  of  the  child/young  person  to  their  personal  circumstances.  The  least  amount
that will be agreed is up to £50 and the maximum will be up to £125, as the expectation is
that once the fostering allowances start there will be the clothing element available to top up
what  has  already  been  brought.  Please  note  that  if  the  child/young  person  is  only  being
placed for a short period of time, the amount given will be based upon this. However, if the
placement is extended, then this will be reassessed, and adjustments made.

1.26  Emergency School Clothing
At  the  point  of  placement,  the  child’s  Social  Worker  will  usually  be  expected  to  obtain  the
Looked  After  Child/young  people’s  school  uniform  within  72  hours  of  the  placement
commencing.    If  attempts  have  been  made  but  the  school  uniform  has  not  been  obtained
within 24 hours, then the placement service in consultation with the child’s Social Worker will
consider  authorising  agreement  for  the  emergency  school  clothing  grant  to  be  made.    It  is
the responsibility of the child’s Social Worker to contact the birth parents or the child's school
to find out what the essential school clothing needs are for the young person for that week.
Also,  what  the  likely  cost  for  replacement  school  clothing  will  be.      Ideally,  the  child/young
person’s Social Worker should authorise up to £150.00 emergency clothing money in order
to  support  young  people  returning  to  school  as  soon  as  possible.    The  payment  of  the
emergency school clothing grant must be authorised by the relevant Team Manager, subject
to the provision of a breakdown of the costs in advance, agreement for this to be paid and to
the provision of receipts ideally before or as soon as possible after payment.

1.27  Keeping Receipts and Accountability
It  is  important  that  you  record  all  major  expenditure  and  ensure  you  have  receipts  for  all
significant  purchases.  Foster  carers  are  expected  to  model  good  budgeting  and  we  would
expect  that  you  retain  receipts  for  your  expenditure.    These  will  be  required  in  case  of  the
need  to  return  faulty  items,  making  claims  on  insurance  and  showing  Social  Workers  how
monies have been spent.

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1.28  Travel Costs
The  foster  carer’s  allowance  covers  all  routine  travel  costs  incurred  by  the  child/young
person and carer. There is an expectation that the carer will take a child to and from school
and, where the foster carer is a car owner, can be used towards some motoring costs. This
also extends for travel to and from all relevant appointments with the child e.g. medical and
hospital check ups.

There may be instances, where request for additional funding may be made available when
there is a need to travel an exceptional distance, for example, birth family contract as set out
by  a  court  order.    Any  such  arrangements  to  request  additional  funding  for  travel  costs
should  be  discussed  and  agreed  in  advance  via  your  Supervising  Social  Worker/relevant
Team Manager and the children’s Social Worker.

1.29  Luggage For Looked After Children
Looked After children must be provided with adequate luggage, holdalls or suitcases of their
own when travelling i.e. day trips or longer holidays.  Foster carers may purchase these from
the allowance provided for the young person.  Also when children are moving on from their
placement, suitable and adequate personal luggage must be provided to accommodate their
belongings.
Foster carers are asked to liaise with their Supervising Social Workers if there are difficulties
regarding storage of child/young person’s belongings.  Children/young people should not be
stigmatised by having their belongings transported in black dust bin bags/ flimsy carrier style
bags  with  associations  of  refuse  being  attached  to  these.    Neither  should  luggage  be
‘borrowed’ unless there are exceptional circumstances to explain this.

1.30  Request for Additional Funding Not Covered in the Allowance Document
The  fostering  allowance  has  been  designed  to  cover  the  everyday  costs  of  caring  for  a
child/young person. However, there may be rare occasions when additional funding is seen
as necessary to meet the best interests of the child/young person. In instances like this, it is
the  expectation  that  the  foster  carer  raises  this  with  the  child’s  Social  Worker  or  their
Supervising Social Worker to see how best to support the child in placement.

Additional  funding  should  always  be  discussed  in  the  first  instance  with  your  Supervising
Social  Worker  and  agreed  by  the  relevant  Team  Manager,  as  no  funding  can  be  agreed
retrospectively.

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1.31  Miscellaneous Expenses
The fostering allowances are calculated to cover household costs, food, leisure and personal
items  for  the  child.  This  guidance  has  not  itemised  how  money  should  be  spent  on  these
items,  but  we  would  expect  carers  to  use  good  judgement  to  ensure  that  children/young
people’s  needs  are  adequately  met  in  regard  to  these.    Any  concerns  with  regards  to  this
should  be  brought  to  the  attention  of  your  Supervising  Social  Worker,  who  will  provide  the
foster carer with clarity and guidance.

How Payments Are Made

1.32  Processing Payments
Payments are processed and are paid fortnightly – payments are now being paid one week
in advance and one week in arrears. This is to prevent overpayments.  However, there may
be  instances  when  the  payments  dates  may  have  to  be  changed  and  foster  carers  will  be
notified of any changes prior to the change and by email.

Payments wil  normally be paid directly into foster carer’s bank or building society accounts
and  are  available  on  the  Friday  after  the  bank  instruction  is  issued.    Any  changes  to  have
been  made  to  bank/building  society  accounts  should  be  notified  directly  to  the  *The
Commissioning  Resource  Team  at  Civic  Centre  on  020  937  3136/2527/6284  or
xxx.xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx  or your Supervising Social Worker, who will arrange for a new
BACS form to be completed. The BACS form is used to update all new information relating
to  your  account.  Any  changes  will  require  the  foster  carer  to  provide  a  bank  statement
documentation to confirm their bank account details.

If there are any difficulties regarding payments, contact your supervising social worker or the
placements duty social worker as soon as possible so the situation can be resolved.

*Commissioning  Resource  Team,  Brent  Civic  Centre,  3rd  Floor  North,  Engineers  Way,
Wembley, HA9 0FJ xxx.xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx

1.33  Underpayments and Overpayments
Foster carers who feel they may have been underpaid are advised to consult this guidance
and  discuss  the  position  with  their  Supervising  Social  Worker  ASAP.  If  further  guidance  is
required,  the  relevant  Team  Manager  or  your  Supervising  Social  Worker  should  be

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consulted.  Backdated payments may be paid where appropriate, but agreement will need to
be sought depending on the amount of underpayments to be made.

The  expectation  is  that  the  overpayment  will  be  repaid  as  soon  as  possible  following  the
receipt of notification. However, where overpayments occur and a child/young person is still
in  placement,  the  money  will  be  recovered  by  deducting  the  full  amount  or  in  exceptional
circumstances, an agreed percentage of the fortnightly allowance payment  until the debt is
repaid.  This  percentage  must  be  agreed  with  the  relevant  Service  Manager  or  Team
Manager.

Where  overpayments  occur  and  there  are  no  child/young  people  in  placement,  the
expectation is that the money is repaid immediately by cheque or bank transfer. In instances
like  this,  all  agreed  repayments  should  be  documented,  so  that  there  is  a  record  of  the
agreements  made.  However,  there  have  been  some  instances,  where  foster  carers  do  not
have  the  money  available  and  agreement  can  be  given  that  the  money  will  be  recouped
once  a  new  placement  is  made  within  a maximum  of  six  months.  In  instances  like  this,  an
agreed percentage will be deducted until the full amount is recouped.

At all times, the expectation is that the money should be available given that it is public funds
as  failure  to  repay  the  debt  will  be  recovered  according  to  our  debt  recovery  procedures.
Failure to comply with these procedures could jeopardise any future plans to foster for Brent
or another agency.

Setting Up Foster Carers with Equipment

1.34  Purchase of Equipment
Foster carers are provided with start-up equipment to enable them to care for children/young
people.  This includes beds, bedding, buggies, safety guards and fire safety equipment etc.
All equipment supplied is the property of the local authority and an inventory will be kept of
all the equipment issued. When foster carers stop fostering, a discussion will be undertaken
and a decision made regarding the equipment, as we may be able to recycle them. But if this
is not possible, we will ask you to dispose of the items (dependent on their condition).

Equipment provided will be of  good quality and will be provided on a one off basis.  There
may be occasions when the equipment is transferred with the child to another placement, for
example, when a child/young person moves to an adoptive placement or if the foster carer/s

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is  no  longer  using  the  equipment  due  to  a  change  in  their  circumstances.    In  these
circumstances,  the  equipment  will  be  reissued  to  the  foster  carer/s  and  a  new  inventory
issued.

In  the  event  that  some  foster  carers  have  their  own  furniture,  which  is  of  good  and  sound
quality,  agreement  may  be  given  for  their  furniture  to  be  used  and  in  the  event  that  the
furniture needs to be replaced,  the department will be responsible.  However, agreement to
be sought from the manager and agreement made on a case-by-case basis.

If  the  foster  carer  lives  locally,  the  Supervising  Social  Worker  will  organise  this  within  the
department and the equipment will be delivered directly to the foster carer’s home.  If there is
undue delay in this, the foster carer will be kept informed of all developments at all times.

If  the  foster  carer  lives  some  distance  from  Brent  (outside  of  London)  it  may  be  more
practical  for the foster  carer to  purchase  items and  arrange  a  convenient  delivery  time.    In
cases  such  as  this,  all  the  items  to  be  purchased  must  be  agreed,  from  where  and  the
maximum  budget  set.    All  arrangements  will  be  confirmed  in  writing  by  the  Supervising
Social  Worker  and  cost  confirmed  by  the  relevant  Team  Manager  in  advance  of  any
purchase  being  made.  Foster  carers  will  then  be  reimbursed  by  the  relevant  teams  by
cheque/or BACS on production of the appropriate receipts.

1.35  Criteria for purchasing equipment
We  recognise  that  every  foster  carer  is  different  and  will  require  different  pieces  of
equipment according to their approval status and the ages of the children and young people
placed with them. Therefore, the equipment list has been placed into 2 categories (essential
and  non-essential),  so  that  this  allows  the  foster  carers  to  purchase  equipment  if  they  feel
they require it, as it is not deemed essential and would not impact on their ability to provide
good care.

1.35.1 Essential
The  purchase  of  essential  equipment  means  that  without  this  equipment  that  child/young
person could not be placed in a safe environment. For example: if the child/young person did
not have a bed or cot, it would be unsafe for them to be placed in a planned placement.

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1.35.2 Non-essential
The  purchase  of  non-essential  equipment  means  that  this  equipment  is  optional  and
according to the foster carer’s personal choice. For example: it is not necessary at all times
to purchase a desk, if the foster carer already has a desk that can be used.

1.36  Equipment in an Emergency
Where  it  has  been  agreed  between  a  foster  carer  and  their  supervising  social  worker  that
they can be available for emergency placements, the carer should have the basic equipment
necessary  to  care  for  a  child  (aged  within  their  approval  terms)  overnight.  For  example,  a
baby  carer  should  have  an  available  cot  and  nappies  and  a  foster  carer  approved  for
teenagers  should  have  a  bed  and  spare  toothbrush/paste.  More  suitable  equipment  for  a
longer stay will then be sourced for the carer as soon as possible once the longer-term plan
for the child is clear.
It  should  be  noted,  however,  that  there  may  be  unusual  occasions  where  an  emergency
placement  is required that  the carer feels  able  to  manage  overnight  but  does  not  have  the
required  equipment  in  place  –  for  example,  where  a  large  sibling  group  needs  housing.  In
these instances, the placing social workers and the carer will consider a creative answer to
this for the one night and then source appropriate equipment the next available working day.
Each situation would need to be assessed individually

1.37  Preferred Suppliers
The  local  authority  have  a  list  of  preferred  suppliers  who  we  have  agreements  with.  In  all
instances,  we  must  use  the  preferred  suppliers  for  the  purchase  of  all  equipment  and  only
where  the  preferred  supplier,  is  unable  to  supply  the  specific  piece  of  equipment,  will  we
then  consider  purchasing  the  equipment  from  another  supplier.  In  these  cases,  the  item
must be of similar price.

For all equipment for foster carers who care for children aged 0 to 2 years old, our preferred
supplier is *Argos, **Precious Little Ones or ***ATS. These suppliers are internet based and
equipment can be ordered with delivery in some cases being the same or next day. Carers
should take into consideration that delivery for some items may take up to 7 days.

Equipment  for  children  over  the  age  of  2  years  old  can  be  purchased  from  Argos  or  ATS.
You can view the equipment by using the internet, brochure, or the catalogue.

*
Argos  -  Retail  store  where  you  can  walk  and  purchase  items  or  order  over  the
internet.

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**  Precious Little Ones - Internet based company that Brent Placement Service hold a
contract with and provide home delivery.
***  ATS - Store based in Wembley which Brent Placement Service hold a contract with
and they will deliver and set up equipment.

1.38  Wear and Tear
Once  equipment  has  been  purchased,  this  is  considered  as  a  ‘one  off’  purchase  and  the
foster carer/s, are then considered responsible for replenishing the equipment as and when
they feel necessary.

The Fostering Allowance which is paid to foster carers contains an element to enable carers
to budget for purchasing new equipment in respect of caring for the child/young person. This
can sometimes be used to go towards purchasing ordinary household items which the carer
would  have  in  use  whether  or  not  there  is  a  child/young  person  in  placement,  such  as  a
washing machine.

1.39  Faulty Equipment
If  the  foster  carer/s  have  purchased  equipment  and  it  is  faulty,  the  foster  carer  will  be
expected to take steps to renew the equipment if it is in guarantee and they have the receipt.
If  Brent  has  purchased  the  ‘Start  Up’  equipment  or  any  other  equipment  items,  the  carer
should liaise with the supervising social worker/administrator and this will be looked into, i.e.
replaced  if  the  item  is  faulty.  However,  in  order  for  the  equipment  to  be  replaced,  an
inspection  of  the  equipment  would  need  to  be  undertaken  by  Supervising  Social  Worker,
prior to replacement.

1.40  Start up equipment list for baby foster carers/0 – 2 years
Item
Minimum Cost £
Maximum Cost £
Essential
Non-

essential
Blankets (2)
£5 each
£7 each
X

Fitted or Flat Sheets (2)
£5 each
£7 each
X

Changing mat (1)
£5
£7

X
Changing bag set (1)
£10
£ 15

X
Car Seat (1)
£35
£50
X

Steriliser (1)
£20
£25
X

Bottles (3)
£5
£15
X

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Bouncer    or  rocker  chair
£25

X
(1)
Baby Carrier (1)

£ 20

X
Baby Monitor (1)

£ 25

X
Travel Cot (1)

£ 30

X
Baby bath  (1)

£15
X

Stair gates (2 maximum)

£ 25
X

High Chair (1)

£40
X

Booster Seat (1)

£ 10
X

Fireguard  (each)  if  open
£ 20
X

fire
Potty or potty seat (1)

£ 5

X
Buggy  and  rain  cover  (all  £99
£ 125
X

in one system)
Cot  and  mattress  (all  in  £ 120
£ 150
X

one)
Cot bumper
£20
£ 25

X
Moses basket (1)

£ 35

X

Start up equipment list for foster carers/5 years upwards
Item
Minimum Cost £
Maximum Cost £
Essential
Non-

essential
Bed (single divan)
85.00
150.00
X

Bunk  bed  (metal  and  100.00
160.00
X

Pine)

Headboard
15.00
25.00
X

Wardrobe (single)
100.00
160.00
X

Chest  of  drawers  (4-5  50.00
75.00
X

drawer)

Computer workstation
20.00
45.00

X

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Desks
25.00
45.00

X

Bedding

Pillow and quilt set
15.00
25.00
X

Flat or fitted sheet (2)
8.00
12.00
X

Duvet  cover  and  pillow  15.00
20.00
X

case (2)
Plastic  mattress  protector  10.00
12.00
X

(1)

Respite and Nominated carers

1.41  Respite Care Arrangements
Any requests for holidays or respite, whilst a foster child/young person is in placement needs
to  be  made  via  the  Supervising  Social  Worker  or  the  child’s  Social  Worker  in  the  first
instance. This request will then have to be agreed by the Head of Service.

It  is  expected  that  any  such  requests  by  foster  carers  are  discussed  in  detail  with  their
Supervising  Social  Worker  before  anything  is  agreed.  The  expectation  is  that  all  Looked
After Children placed with Brent approved foster carers go on holiday with the foster carers,
unless  there  are  compelling  reasons  why  they  cannot.    However,  please  note  that  in  the
event  where  the  request  may  ‘seem’  unreasonable,  such  a  request  may  be  questioned  so
that a better understanding could be given.

The  local  authority’s  expectation  is  that  foster  carers  put  in  place  arrangements  to  ensure
that  if  they  need  to  take  a  break  from  fostering  a  child,  that  this  will  preferably  take  place
when the placement comes to a natural end, when the child/young person has contact with
the  birth  parent  or  when  the  ‘nominated  carer’  is  able  to  step  in  to  provide  stability  and
continuity whilst the foster carer is away.

Foster carers are expected to make arrangements to take children/young people with them if
they  need  to  go  away  in  an  emergency  or  on  a  planned  basis.    If  this  proves  difficult  then
emergency  respite  should  be  for  as  short  a  period  as  possible.  The  service  also  asks  that
placements  staff  are  given  as  much  notice  as  possible  (verbally  and/or  in  writing  e.g.  via
email) with regards to respite care requests.

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If a child/young person is placed with a respite foster carer on an agreed basis, the fostering
allowance will be diverted to the respite carer for the duration of the respite placement and
payments  ceased  to  the  main  foster  carer  for  the  period  they  are  away.  This  task  is
processed  by  the  Commissioning  Resource  Team  who  have  oversight  of  all  fostering
allowance payments.

1.42  Nominated Carers Payments
Nominated  Carers  are  there  to  support  the  foster  carer  with  the  care  of  the  child/young
person. Some Nominated Carers only care for a child for periods under 24 hours and during
times when the foster carer may be attending training. In instances like this, the rate that is
paid to the nominated carers is £6.75. These payments come out of the usual foster carer’s
allowance.
The  nominated  carer’s  assessment  report  should  indicate  the  capacity  of  the  nominated
carer to provide day care support to the main foster carer for up to 24 hours.  Any care to be
provided  beyond  24  hours  must  be  considered/  assessed  via  the  Regulation  24
arrangements.    These  assessments  must  be  agreed  by  the  Supervising  Social  Worker’s
Team  Manager  before  placements  with  nominated  carers  can  go  ahead.  Furthermore  the
Head  of  Service  (nominated  officer)  will  need  to  provide  temporary  approval.  If  your
nominated carer does not have an assessment which allows them to care for a child/young
person  over  24  hours,  this  should  be  made  known  to  the  foster  carers  Supervising  Social
Worker, so that a more thorough assessment can be completed.

For  placements  ranging  from  2  days  to  six  weeks,  it  will  be  the  responsibility  of  the
Supervising and/or Assessing Social Workers, to ensure that the payments to the nominated
carer are initiated at the earliest opportunity (Regulation 24 rates), and that payments to the
main foster carer ceases for the duration of the respite.

Payments  to  nominated  carers  must  be  discussed,  agreed  and  recorded,  as  part  of  the
respite planning process.  The supervising social worker will need to complete the CRT work
step  on  Mosaic  or  the  financial  Form  F2,  which  includes  the  child’s  details  and  the
nominated carer’s details, as well as the calculations for the amount payable.  Examples of
situations where such payments can be made include, assisting the main carer with contact
arrangements, caring for the foster child whilst the foster carer attends training, caring for a
foster child who has been temporarily excluded from school.  There may be other examples

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that  could  also  be  considered  following  agreement  with  the  relevant  Supervising  Social
Worker and Team manager.

1.43  Nominated Carer Arrangements
Brent  Looked  after  Children  and  Permanency  Service  will  endeavour  to  undertake  a
nominated carer assessment of all prospective and newly approved Brent foster carers.  We
will  liaise  with  you  with  regards  to  identifying  suitable  people  to  do  this  task  from  your
support network.  We will work together with you to identify replacement nominated carers if
they  are  unable  to  continue  in  this  role.    We  will  also  aim  to  link  you  up  to  other  similarly
approved Brent foster carers who may also be able and willing to assist you in the fostering
tasks.

A nominated Carer is usually someone in the carer's support network who is likely to know
or will get to know the foster child in placement.  Ideally this is someone who has some child
care  experience,  understanding  of  child  development  and  understanding  of  the  needs  of
looked after children. The nominated carer also needs to be someone willing to learn more
as  required  via  support  and  training.    This  could  be  a  relative,  friend  or  approved  foster
carer.  This person would need to be willing to be DBS checked and assessed as someone
suitable  to  assist  the  approved  foster  carer  in  caring  for  the  Brent  foster  child.    Once
completed  nominated  carer  assessments  will  be  required  to  be  signed  by  the  Head  of
Service for Looked After Children and Permanency.

Nominated  carers  can  offer  support  if/when  the main  carer/s  needs respite  from  child  care
responsibilities e.g. to go out for an evening; to have a planned break; or in an emergency
e.g.  ill  health  of  a  relative  or  bereavement  or  in  circumstances  where  it  may  be
inappropriate/impossible  for the foster child  to  accompany  the  carer.   The  nominated  carer
can  then  step  in  and  provide  either  planned  baby-sitting  support  in  an  emergency  -  either
during  the  day,  in  the  evening,  overnight,  or  for  several  weeks  depending  on  the
circumstances  –  either  in  the main carer’s  home  or  in  the  nominated  carers  home  if this  is
assessed  to  be suitable.    Nominated  carer/s  prove  invaluable  because  their  support  to the
main  carers,  can  mean  continuity/stability  for  foster  child/young  people  within  a  placement
and less disruption and placement breakdowns which may arise if the foster carer does not
get a planned or emergency break from their caring role.

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Most  Brent  foster  carers,  have  at  one  time  or  another  needed  to  make  use  of  their
nominated carer for child care support e.g. to attend meetings, attend appointments, attend
to emergency matters where the presence of the child would not be appropriate etc.  Foster
carers  for  child/young  people  who  have  a  disability  are  usually  even  more  in  need  of
appropriate  respite;  ideally  in  the  form  of  home/family  based  care  -  with  carers  who  are
committed  and  skilled  enough  to  be  able  to  manage  any  additional  challenging  aspects  of
care that the disability might bring.

It is important for the nominated carer to be able to access information about the child/young
person they are likely to be caring for on a need to know basis.  This will include details of
any special or complex needs and it is important that they are carefully briefed by the main
foster  carer  and  the  relevant  staff  (Supervising  social  worker,  child’s  Social  Worker,
specialist  education  or  health  professionals)  regarding  the  practical  and  financial
arrangements for caring for the child/young person.

Payment  of  allowances  must  be  agreed  with  the  relevant  Team  Manager  prior  to  any
placement  taking  place.  In  some  instances,  the  foster  carer  will  be  required  to  use  their
allowances to pay the nominated carers.

Children Leaving Care Services

1.44  The Transition to Adult Life
Most  young  people  who  are  ‘Looked  After’  may  be  eligible  for  Leaving  Care  support  (see
eligibility criteria) Children Act 89 Section 24 (1A), Children Leaving Care Act 2000, Adoption
and Children Act 2002).

Therefore, when young people reach the age of 16 years they should have a pathway plan
which  provides the young  person  and  carer  a  plan  of  the  areas they  need  to  develop their
skills in, in preparation for them to live independently.

1.45  ‘Staying Put’ Scheme
The primary aim of “Staying Put” is to promote a gradual transition from care to adulthood
and  independent  living  that  recognises  that  many  young  people  in  care  often  experience
delayed maturity, and that their 18th birthday may be an arbitrary and inappropriate point to
leave a familial and foster care household.

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Staying Put arrangements are used for young people who have reached the age of 18 and
who  will  benefit  from  remaining  within  a  family  unit  they  are  familiar  with.  Staying  Put  in  a
family environment can make all the difference to the participation rates of young people in
education,  employment  or  training.  Young  people,  who  remain  with  foster  carers  post  18
years,  are  more  likely  to  access  practical  support  around  budgeting,  housekeeping  and
health and have lower rates of alcohol and substance dependence and abuse.

Young  people  are  no  longer  legally  Looked  After  and  fostering regulations  no  longer  apply
and  the  young  person  is  no  longer  a  foster  child.  They  become  an  adult  member  of  the
fostering  household.  The  ‘placement’  becomes  an  ‘arrangement’  between  the  foster  carer,
the young person and Brent Looked after Children, Care Leavers and Permanency Services.

The arrangement for the young person to continue to have a room as an adult in the foster
home should be set out in the form  of an agreement usually called a ‘Licence Agreement’.
This  agreement  is  between  the  foster  carer,  the  young  person  and  Brent  Looked  after
Children and Permanency Service.

To obtain approval for a placement under a ‘Staying Put Arrangement’ a request should be
made when the child reaches the age of at least 17, setting out the purpose and aims of the
“Staying  Put”  arrangement  and  any  particular  milestones,  targets  and  outcomes  and  the
overall purpose and aims and the day to day arrangements for supporting the young person
should be set out in the young person’s Pathway Plan in conjunction with:

•  The Young Person
•  The Foster Carer
•  The Foster Carer’s Supervising Social Worker
•  Relevant Team Manager/s

Ideally at the last LAC review  and pathway plan (before the 18th birthday) the arrangement
should  be  agreed.  This  arrangement  should  be  then  ratified  at  the  Children’s  Placement
Panel, where the financial element of the agreement will be  decided, as well as at the final
LAC  review.  The  responsibility  for  the  ongoing  monitoring  and  review  of  placements  made
under  the  ‘Staying  Put  Placement  Scheme’  will  be  through  the  Brent  Care  Leavers  Team
following the decision made at the Children’s Placement Panel. However, as there may be
different types of placements all happening at the same time, you will still have the support

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and guidance from your Supervising Social Worker. Al  young people that are in a ‘Staying
Put’ placement wil  be reviewed every 6 months. The young person will no longer have an
allocated  Social  Worker and  will  be  reallocated to  a  Personal  Advisor,  who  will  continue to
support and guide them through this transition.

All  fostering  allowances  will  cease  on  the  birthday  of  the  young  person  when  they  turn  18
years and alternative arrangements will be put in place. If the young person remains with the
carer  on  a  staying  put  basis,  please  note  that  these  allowances  will  cease  on  the  young
person’s 19th birthday when they will be eligible to apply for housing benefits.

Financial arrangements for Young People on the Staying put scheme
Initial Staying Put Rate (up to the age of 19)
Under the Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010 and Planning Transition into Adulthood
for  Care  Leavers  Guidance,  the  Local  Authority  must  provide  information  about  extending
placements post-18.

Upon  reaching  18,  young  people  will  have  their  own  income,  either  from  wages  from
employment or an apprenticeship, or from income support and housing benefit if they are in
further  education  or  training.  They  will  also  receive  some  financial  support  from  Brent
Looked  after  Children,  Care  Leavers  and  Permanency  Service’s  with  their  travel  costs  to
their college or training provider. This income is taken into account when making the Staying
Put  arrangement. Young  people  are  expected  to  make  a  contribution  to  the  costs  of  the
arrangement in the form of rent and a contribution towards food and utilities.

The  amount  of  rent  payable  by  the  young  person  will  vary  in  different  parts  of  the  country
according to where the foster home is situated.

The  contribution  of  the  young  person  towards  food  and  utilities  will  be  negotiated  between
Foster Carer, Young Person and Personal Advisor.

Allowance
Allowance + fee
Allowance + fee
Age band
(level 1)
(level 2 £66.14)
(level 3 £88.18)
18+ Staying Put
£306.00-£100.00=£206.00
£206.00+£66.14=£272.14
£206.00+£88.18=£294.18
Allowance
20+ Staying Put
£206.00-£50.00=£156.00
£272.14-£50.00=£227.16
£294.18-£50.00=£254.18
Allowance

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*Note – The Allowance is reduced by £100 which is funding for clothing (11%), leisure (11%), pocket money
(6%) and travel (8%) including in the Fostering Allowance.

The  young  persons’  own  income  wil   come  from  wages  from  employment  or  an
apprenticeship, or from Independent Futures or welfare benefits. The foster carer will not be
expected to give money to young people and foster carers and will no longer be required to
save for young people.

Young people aged up to 19 and studying in Further Education are entitled to receive the 16-
19 Bursary from their college.

Support to the carer/s during the staying put arrangement
Supervising Social Workers will continue to be involved in supervising and supporting Brent
Foster carers should their fostering approval continue for younger Brent foster children at the
same  time  as  agreement  has  been  given  for  these  carers  to  be  placed  on  a  Staying  Put
Arrangement’ for former Brent Looked after children.

For  those  foster  carers  whose  fostering  approval  ceases  at  the  end  of  the  young  person’s
foster placement i.e. at aged 18 years, Placements Services involvement will usually end at
this point unless it is agreed that further specific task centred activity needs to take place in
consultation with the young person’s social worker.

19+ Staying Rate (up to age 21)
From the date of the young person’s 19th birthday the Staying Put rate for all arrangements
will  be  based  on  the  current  rate  of  Housing  Benefit  or  will  be  negotiated  between  Foster
Carer, Young Person and Personal Advisor through the Young Person wage if employed.

Additionally, the young person will continue to contribute to the cost of food and utilities as
agreed with their family.

Housing benefits
If  a  young  person  is  working  then  their  income  from  employment  is  taken  into  account  in
their  claim  for  housing  benefit.  For  example,  a  young  person  who  is  working  and  earning
£100 (net income) per week would have to contribute about £21 per week towards their rent.

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However, every case is not the same, so will be assessed upon the young person’s personal
circumstances.

1.46  University students
Where  university  students  need  vacation  accommodation,  if  the  young  person  has  a
continuing  relationship  with  their  previous  foster  carer,  the  foster  carer  could  be  asked  to
provide  this  service  for  the  rent  element  of  the  supportive  lodgings  rate.  This  will  be
negotiated between Foster Carer, Young Person and Personal Advisor.

General Finance

1.47  Allowance and Tax
It  is  important  to  note  that  the  full  allowance  is  given  tax-free  to  all  foster  carers,  whether
family and friends’ foster carers or unrelated foster carers, but both fee elements are subject
to  income  tax  and  would  therefore  have  to  be  included  on  your  tax  return.  All  carers  can
approach  Fostering  Network  or  Inland  Revenue  for  further  information  on  how  to  set
themselves up to pay this income tax.
As  a  Fostering  Network  member  you  can  access  advice  from  qualified  Independent
Financial Advisors. They specialize in personal finance matters specifically for Foster Carers
including tax and social security benefits.

Fostering Network
Tel: 0207 620 6440
xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx

Fostering Network legal helpline – UK - 24-hour legal helpline for expert advice on
allegations and help with any legal queries on 0345 013 5004.

HM Revenue and Customs have produced a basic guide to foster care tax relief available on
the  link  below.  It  is  advisable  that  all  foster  carers  familiarise  themselves  with  the
requirements, so that they are equipped with knowledge around tax and what it may mean to
them.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/individuals/foster-care-relief.pdf

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1.48  Foster carers training and development
All  foster  carers  are  subjected  to  an  annual  review,  where  their  training  and  development
needs will be discussed and will form part of their ongoing personal development plan. This
is a joint exercise, which requires both the Foster Carers and Supervising Social Worker to
identify  relevant  and  specific  training  and  the  expectation  is  that  all  Foster  Carers  will
undertake training on a regular basis, so that they are able to develop their knowledge and
skills  around  the  fostering  task.  The  minimum  learning  events  that  foster  carers  need  to
complete  each  year  are  4.  These  can  include  a  mixture  of  training  courses,  seminars  and
online learning. As mentioned above, the fee element paid to foster carers in addition to their
allowance acknowledges this continued development and learning.

Please  note  that  we  take  into  consideration  other  relevant  training  that  you  may  have
undertaken  through  employment  or  from  other  educational  establishments.  Please  have  a
discussion with your Supervising Social Worker or the Training Coordinator, who will be able
to clarify this.

The expectation is that once carers have booked themselves to attend training, they will turn
up  at  the  confirmed  time  and  venue.  If  for  some  reason,  carers  do  not  attend  and  give  no
explanation, we have introduced a system which will now make a reduction of £50, for every
course that the carers do not attend, without reasonable reason. If carers are not happy with
any  reduction  made,  you  can  speak  to  your  Supervising  Social  Worker  who  will  take  the
matter forward.

1.49  Tax Credits
When applying for Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit you will need to disclose your self-
employment profit.  This will be the fostering income in excess of your Qualifying Care Relief
(QCR).  If  your  fostering  income  is  less  than  your  QCR  then  you  will  have  a  £0  taxable
income,  and  this  is  the  figure  you  disclose.  Fostering  Network  will  be  able  to  advise
regarding this.

1.50  Tax for Staying Put Arrangements
Foster Carers who have a ‘Staying Put’ arrangement in place and receive money to enable
them  to  pay  for  the  care  for  the  young  person  will  not  pay  tax  on  this  money  as  this  is  a
Leaving  Care  Payment  as  set  out  in  HM  Revenue  and  Custom  help  sheet  236  (Qualifying
care  relief:  Foster  carer’s,  adult  placement  carer’s,  kinship  carer’s  and  staying  put  carer’s,
HS236  Self-Assessment  help  sheet).  The  government  has  recently  decided  that  all
payments  for  Staying  Put  are  included  in  the  foster  care  tax  relief  threshold.  This  enables

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allowances and fees to be tax free, up to £10,000 per year as a foster carer  plus £250 per
week for each young person over the age of 11, in addition to their own tax free earnings of
approximately £10,000 per year.

If the foster carer is not working then tax would be offset against the personal tax allowance.
If  a  host  carer  is  applying  as  a  couple  then  personal  allowance  can  be  claimed  by  one
person or split between the couple.

1.51  Attendance/Mobility Allowance or Disability Living Allowance
Disability  Living  Allowance  (DLA)  is  a  tax-free,  non-means  tested  benefit  to  assist  people
who have a recognised disability. This means that it does not need to be shown on your tax
return.  The  person  claiming  will  have  to  have  been  declared  as  having  a  disability  by  a
medical  practitioner.  The  benefit  is  to  support  people  with  disabilities  with  the  additional
costs that are associated with their disability.

If a carer is disabled they will be entitled to DLA in their own right.  A foster carer could also
claim DLA on a placement’s behalf.

Attendance or mobility allowances or the replacement Disability living allowance received by
the  child/young  person  will  not  be  deducted  from  the  foster  care  allowance.    However,
benefits paid to a child at age 16 years and above will be taken into consideration under the
subvention requirements.

1.52  Income Support
Foster  carers  are  in the unique  position  of  being  able to  choose  whether  to  be  deemed  as
being  working  and  claim  Working  Tax  Credits  or  not  working  and  claim  Income  Support.
Income Support is a non-taxable benefit which for people who work less than 16 hours per
week but who do not need to sign on as unemployed, such as lone parents or foster carers.

Unless  a  foster  carer  has  a  second job,  they  will  not  be  deemed  as  working  more  than  16
hours  per  week  and  will  therefore  meet  this  condition.   Please  note  that  fostering  income
does not count as remunerative work for Income Support purposes.

1.53  Housing and Council Tax Benefit
Housing  benefit  and  Council  Tax  Benefit  are  both  means-tested,  and  generally  have  the
same conditions to qualify.

37

Social Care Policies and Procedures
Title: Fostering Allowances - RATES AND GUIDANCE
1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023

Any  fostering  allowances  should  be  completely  ignored  when  claiming  –  including  any
‘reward’ element.  Any retainer that you receive as a foster carer should also be ignored to
the extent that it is offset by any reasonable expenses including Income Tax and NICs.

It  may  also  be  possible  that  you  qualify  for  Council  Tax  Benefit.   The  amount  of  this  will
depend  on  how  much  your  Council  Tax  bill  is  who  you  live  with.   Once  again,  people  with
savings exceeding £16,000 will not qualify.

If you are fostering a disabled child, then  you may qualify for a Disability Reduction in your
Council Tax bill.  For more details contact your local council directly.

1.54  Insurance
It  is  advisable  that  all  Brent  Foster  Carers  have  a  fully  comprehensive  home  contents
insurance  policy.  If  they  are  owner  occupiers  they  must  have  Buildings  Insurance  as  well.
Supervising  Social  workers  will  ask  to  see  evidence  of  this  when  they  are  carrying  out  the
annual health and safety or where a claim has been made for damage made.  Foster Carers
have a responsibility to inform their insurance company that they are fostering for the Local
Authority.  If  the  policy  premium  increases  because  of  their  fostering  status,  Brent  will
consider contributing to the increase in the premium.  Foster Carers are advised to contact
their  membership  service  provider  (Fostering  Network  Members  Helpline  020  7401  9582
from 10am - 3pm, Monday to Friday) for further specialist advice in this area.

Where  items  are  damaged,  the  Foster  Carer  would  be  expected  to  claim  on  their  house
insurance.  Any  excess  to  be  paid  may  be  paid  by  the  local  authority,  provided  that  the
damage was caused by the young person in foster care and there is independent evidence
to  support  this.  In  the  case  whereby  the  foster  carer’s  insurance  wil   not  accept  the  claim,
Brent  local  authority  will  consider  whether  the  claim  can  be  processed  via  Brent Insurance
Scheme subject to evidence being provided to support the claim.

Brent Looked after Children and Permanency Service expects our carers to be responsible
for the purchase of fully comprehensive car insurance if they are going to use their cars to
assist with the caring tasks i.e. transporting of foster children. Supervising Social workers will
ask to see evidence of this when they are carrying out the annual health and safety.

38

Social Care Policies and Procedures
Title: Fostering Allowances - RATES AND GUIDANCE
1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023

1.55  Non  Compliance  re:  DBS,  Medicals,  Statutory  Checks,  Attendance  at
Training and Other Required Procedures
Foster Carers who fail to adhere to the department’s requirements within a timely manner for
updating medicals and statutory checks may be liable to a financial charge. Non-attendance
at training may also incur a financial charge and this is set out within the training policy.

In the event that a nominated carer, or significant visitor to the household fails to provide the
required information for a Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS), then the department
will have to provide restrictions upon this person’s contact with the looked after child/young
people.

1.56  Brent Council Anti-Fraud Framework
Brent Council expects high standards of honesty and transparency in their staff, contractors
and employees and takes any form of fraud or corruption very seriously.  It is expected that
Brent  Foster  carers  will  conduct  themselves  as  responsible  for  administering  public  funds,
ensuring that allowances, savings and any other payments or resources that are provided on
behalf  of  Brent  Looked  After  children  (or  any  other  children  supported  financially  by  Brent
Council) are administered in an appropriate and accountable manner.

Brent  staff  will  refer  all  suspected  fraudulent  activity  to  the  Brent  Audit  and  Investigation
team  for  them  to  investigate  this,  with  a  view  to  prevention,  detection  and  remedy;  as
necessary to discourage dishonest gain at the expense of the Council.  The Council will seek
the  strongest  possible  penalties  for  carers  who  are  found  to  have  committed  fraud  or
financial malpractice against the Council. Please ask your Supervising Social Worker to refer
you to full details of this policy, which is held on the Brent Intranet site.

It is the responsibility of the carer to notify the local authority as soon as their circumstances
change, so that a review of the financial support can be undertaken or the financial support
can cease.

1.57  Special Guardianship and Adoption by Foster Carers.
Foster  carers  who  have  been  fostering  a  child  and  are  subsequently  matched  with  those
children  for  adoption,  or  who  obtain  a  Special  Guardianship  Order (SGO)  for the  child,  will
still be paid the fostering allowance appropriate to the age of the child in their care and their
own learning and development. This can be for up to two years following the child and foster
carer being matched for adoption by Adopt London West’s Adoption Panel or the SGO being
granted in court.  However, this must be agreed as part of the support plan.

39

Social Care Policies and Procedures
Title: Fostering Allowances - RATES AND GUIDANCE
1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023

For  special  guardians,  before  the  agreed  period  ends,  a  financial  assessment  will  be
completed  to  calculate  the  means  tested  allowance  to  which  the  special  guardian  will  be
entitled after this period ends (see 1.58 for detail).
For  adoption  cases,  before  the  agreed  period  ends,  the  carer  will  apply  for  an  adoption
allowance in the same way as indicated above.

Other Payments That May Be Made To Adopters/Special Guardians
•  Travel and accommodation costs during introductions to a child
•  A one off settling in grant
•  Costs to facilitate direct contact arrangements

1.58  Special  Guardianship  and  Child  Arrangement  Allowances  (formerly
known as Residence Orders)
Brent pays its Special Guardians and those carers of children on Child Arrangement Orders
Level  one  payments  on  a  weekly  basis  –  this  is  the  allowance  element  as  set  out  in
government  guidance  https://www.gov.uk/foster-carers/help-with-the-cost-of-fostering.  It  is
designed to meet the costs of caring for the child with no discrimination on the grounds of a
pre-existing relationship with the child. As previously mentioned, Brent’s weekly allowance is
greater  than  the  amount  advised  by  Fostering  Network.  The  amount  paid  is  based  on  the
age of the child and recognises that these carers will have had no training or assessment.

Brent  is  guided  by  the  Department  for  Education  and  Skills  in  applying  the  standardised
means  test  model  for  adoption  and  special  guardianship  financial  support  to  assess  the
allowance  available  to  Special  Guardians.  This  takes  into  account  any  other  grant,  benefit,
allowance  or  resource  available  to  the  guardian  in  respect  of  their  needs  as  a  result  of
becoming  a  Special  Guardian  of  a  child  and  is  reviewed  annually  based  on  their  incoming
and  outgoing  finances.  Financial  support  cannot  duplicate  any  other  payment  available  to
the Special Guardian. A link to this can be found below:
http://kinshipcarers.co.uk/documents/Means_test_guidance.pdf

For  those  carers  who  have  previously  fostered  a  looked  after  child  their  allowance  will
remain  as  the  fostering  allowance  rates  for  up  to  2  years  post  the  Special  Guardianship
Order being granted.

If the child was not previously looked after, the carers receive the Department for Education
standardised  means  test  model  of  financial  support,  which  is  based  on  their  incoming  and

40

Social Care Policies and Procedures
Title: Fostering Allowances - RATES AND GUIDANCE
1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023

outgoing  finances,  from  the  onset  of  placement  and  there  is  therefore  no  change  for  them
once the Special Guardianship order is granted.

Fostering Network membership issues – 0207 620 6440 xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx

Any comments in relation to this policy should be forwarded to the attention of:

Onder Beter
Head of Service
            Looked after Children and Permanency Service
Brent Council
3rd Floor, Civic Centre
Engineers Way
Wembley
HA9 0FJ

Email:xxxxx.xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx

If  this  document  is  required  in  large  print,  contact  your
Supervising  Social  Worker  or  speak  to  the  duty  Social
Worker.

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