Payments to Foster Parents

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Avril Williams

Dear Gateshead Borough Council,

FIRST. Please can you quantify your Council's expenditure during the financial year 2010-2011 on EACH of the following items. Please include Payments made via Agencies, as well as Payments made direct, but do NOT include Agency Fees'

1. Foster Child Maintenance, Holiday, Birthday, Christmas, Initial Clothing, School Uniform, Education/Activities, Disability, Cultural, Dietary, Life Story Book, Hospital Gift, Additional Heating, Exceptional Wear and Tear, and all other Allowances paid by your particular Council

2. Foster Parent and Supported Lodging Provider Fees, (various aliases), Enhancements, Bonuses, Disturbance Allowances and all other Allowances paid by your particular Council.

3. Grants to Foster Parents and Supported Lodging Providers for Furniture, Equipment, House Extensions, Bigger Cars, etc.

4. Foster Parent and Supported Lodging Provider Expenses, eg, Mileage, Public Transport Fares, Babysitters, Education Course/Exam Fees, Telephone Costs, Computer, Software and Internet Costs, Entertaining Foster Children's Family and Friends, Prospective Adoptive Parents etc.

(Above lists based on information received during a past survey)

SECOND. How many Foster Parent and Support Lodging Provider
households were involved?

THIRD. What percentage of their Incomes does your Council expect over 16 year old Foster Children to give Foster Parents and Supported Lodging Providers towards their Board and Lodge, when -

1. They are in receipt of Job Seeker's Allowance

2. They are in paid employment.

FOURTH. At what age must Foster Children under your Council's jurisdiction take full financial responsibility for their own upkeep because the Care Order has expired and the Council no longer contributes to their Maintenance? 18? Or older?

Yours faithfully,

A Williams

informationrights, Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council

02 August 2011

Dear Ms Williams

Subject: Freedom of Information - Learning and Children - Children and
Families

I refer to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and to your e-mail to this
department/office dated 07 July 2011.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, we have formally
decided to grant access to the records requested and accordingly they are
as follows:

FIRST. Please can you quantify your Council's expenditure during
the financial year 2010-2011 on EACH of the following items. Please
include Payments made via Agencies, as well as Payments made
direct, but do NOT include Agency Fees'

1. Foster Child Maintenance, Holiday, Birthday, Christmas, Initial
Clothing, School Uniform, Education/Activities, Disability,
Cultural, Dietary, Life Story Book, Hospital Gift, Additional
Heating, Exceptional Wear and Tear, and all other Allowances paid
by your particular Council

1. Foster Child Maintenance - £1904612.00
Independent Fostering placements allowances - £496141.17
Independent Residential placements allowances - £3426682.70
Summer Holiday payments - £94976.27
Birthday - £37515.89
Christmas - £35378.08
Initial Clothing & School uniform - £17784.53
Activities - £12952.48
Disability - £160437.99
Dietary - £1040.00
Life Story book - £458.69
Additional Holiday payments - £21750.00
Equipment - £15593.34
2. Foster Parent and Supported Lodging Provider Fees, (various
aliases), Enhancements, Bonuses, Disturbance Allowances and all
other Allowances paid by your particular Council.

2. None applies to Foster Parents.

Supported Lodging expenditure = £120,628.45.  Supported Lodging
providers are paid from £144.26 per week to £215.74 per week.
Supported Lodging providers who provide accommodation for young people at
University or whilst they are in the Armed Forces, receive a
    retainer of £30 per week. When the young person returns
to the placement they are paid as normal or a percentage of the weekly
rate depending on how many nights the young person stays with them.
An additional payment of the weekly allowance is payable in some instances
if a young person is placed on their birthday.

3. Grants to Foster Parents and Supported Lodging Providers for
Furniture, Equipment, House Extensions, Bigger Cars, etc.

3. Foster Parent Grants for;
    Extensions - £5072.65
   Adaptations - £5181.08
   Vehicles - £26948.00

   N/A for Supported Lodging Providers
4. Foster Parent and Supported Lodging Provider Expenses, eg,
Mileage, Public Transport Fares, Babysitters, Education Course/Exam
Fees, Telephone Costs, Computer, Software and Internet Costs,
Entertaining Foster Children's Family and Friends, Prospective
Adoptive Parents etc.
(Above lists based on information received during a past survey)

4. Foster Parent:
    Mileage & Public Transport - £69008.40
    Computer costs - £16523.48

    Supported Lodging Providers: Costs listed are paid to Young
People living in Supported Lodging accommodation.
    Bus passes and other transport costs: £3,375.25
    Birth certificates and passports: £199.00
    Employment start up costs: £3,560.03
    Volunteer expenses: £103.80

SECOND. How many Foster Parent and Support Lodging Provider
households were involved?

    158 fostering households

    18 Supported Lodging Providers - most have converted over
from being foster carers and continued to care for young people they have
     previously fostered. All young people placed in
Supported Lodgings are 18+.
THIRD. What percentage of their Incomes does your Council expect
over 16 year old Foster Children to give Foster Parents and
Supported Lodging Providers towards their Board and Lodge, when -

1. They are in receipt of Job Seeker's Allowance

N/A for Foster Children as allowance is paid up until 18.

There is an expectation that young people placed in Supported Lodgings are
in further or higher education/training or employment. The young people
are all 18+, if they found themselves on Job Seeker's Allowance because
their course at College / University had ended and they were looking for
work then payment to the Supported Lodging Provider would be negotiated.
This is usually in the region of £20.
2. They are in paid employment.

N/A for Foster Children as allowance is paid up until 18.

If a young person was in paid employment then a reasonable level of board
would be negotiated with the carer and outlined within the young person's
Pathway Plan.

FOURTH. At what age must Foster Children under your Council's
jurisdiction take full financial responsibility for their own
upkeep because the Care Order has expired and the Council no longer
contributes to their Maintenance? 18? Or older?

18 years old if Living Independently or 21 years old if in Supported
Lodgings.

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Yours faithfully

Information Rights Officer

Litigation

Legal & Corporate Services

Gateshead Council

Civic Centre, Regent Street, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE8 1HH

0191 433 3000

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Dear informationrights,

What did the following expenditure cover?

Adaptations - £5181.08

i.e. what does your Council mean be 'adaptions'?

Yours sincerely,

A Williams

informationrights, Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Madam

The expenditure covers adaptations required to a property to meet the needs of a disabled service user.

The information about what we mean about adaptations is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the Act as it is available on our website at the link below.

http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/Housing/help...

Yours faithfully

Information Rights

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Dear informationrights,

WHAT Adaptions did your Councils's grant(s)totalling £5,181.08 to Adoptive pay for?

I am researching the monies paid to Foster and Adoptive Parents by each of England and Wales 174 County, County Borough, Metropolitan Borough and Unitary Authorities Councils IN COMPARISON with the amount of money that the State thinks that low income BIRTH Parents should be able to manage on. The latter is far, far less. (Yes, I know that Adoption Allowances are means-tested)

My submission to the current Family Justice Review included the recommendation that financial help to Birth, Adoptive and Foster Parents, to Guardians and to Relatives, (other than Birth Parents), of the 'cared for'child should be made by the SAME Government Department, using the SAME eligibility criteria and the SAME rates.

Yours sincerely,

A Williams

Dear informationrights,

You HAVEN'T provided your Council's TOTAL expenditure during the financial year 2010-2011 on;

FIRST, In house Foster Parent fees, bonuses etc. (as opposed to Child maintenance and other Allowances

SECOND, Supported Lodging Provider Fees

Yours sincerely,

A Williams

Dear informationrights,

Please can you provide a figure for your Council's total expenditure during the financial year 2010-2011 on FOSTER PARENT FEES.

This is NOT same thing as Foster Child Maintenance Allowances.

Please Note - This is NOT A NEW REQUEST.

Yours sincerely,

A Williams