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Fostering Rates and Allowances2010/11

www.devon.gov.uk/fostering

Devon County CouncilChildren and Young People’s Services

2 Foster Care Rates and Allowances April 2010–March 2011

Contents

Retainers 12

Shared care placements 14

Extended rehabilitation 14

Children with special needs 14

Parent and child placements 14

Special fostering payments 15

School meals 15

Contact 15

Respite 16

Overpayments to foster carers 16

Carers subject to allegations 17

Additional payments made to carers and young people in care 17

Working with teenagers and care leavers 18

5. Carers Progression Scheme 21

6. Remand foster care 22

7. Young People’s Accommodation Service 22

8. Family Care Workers Scheme 24

9. Concurrency Scheme 27

10. Complaints 27

11. Questions 27

Appendix 1 Minimum clothing list 28

Appendix 2 Tax advice for 30 carers from the Inland Revenue

Appendix 3 Insurance cover for 39 foster carers

Appendix 4 New Transport 41 Co-ordination Service arrangements

Foreword by Councillor Andrea Davis

1. Introduction 4

2. Statement of purpose 4

3. Basic principles of the payment scheme 4

4. Payment of allowances 5

Foster care rates 5

What the regular weekly payments cover 6

Budgeting 6

Travel costs 6

Pocket money 6

Emergency payments 7

Christmas and birthday allowances 7

Holiday allowances 7

Personal Education Allowance 8

Additional costs 9

Costs incurred on behalf of CYPS - hospitality and day care 10

Transport 10

Transport costs excluding mileage 11

Assistance to foster carers with purchase of vehicles and adapting property 12

Membership of Fostering Network 12

3Foster Care Rates and Allowances April 2010–March 2011

I would like to begin on behalf of Council members, by thanking all our foster carers for their ongoing commitment to Devon’s children and young people in our care. We recognise that fostering is both a demanding and rewarding task that requires a high level of skill, knowledge and experience from carers.

The past twelve months has been a particularly significant one in respect of the work undertaken by fostering staff and carers to embed the ‘payment for skills’ scheme introduced in April 2009.

We fully acknowledge the time and effort carers are taking in the completion of their workbooks that reflect the skills, experience, learning and professional development required.

This year’s Rates and Allowances aims to build on achievements to date, for example, by offering carers payment for supervising contact, in respect of additional sessions over and above what is expected of carers and in respect of children not placed with them.

The fostering rates have also been increased so that they continue to exceed the Fostering Network’s national minimum recommendations.

I would like to end by saying how much you, as Devon’s foster carers, are appreciated and valued by all County Councillors, and in particular for the difference you make to children’s and young people’s lives.

Councillor Andrea Davis

Lead Executive Member for Children and Young People’s Services

March 2010

Foreword


1. Introduction

Children and Young People’s Services (CYPS) recognises:

• the skills, experience and commitment of foster carers caring for children and young people

• the role foster carers play in working with families in partnership with CYPS.

This document outlines the scheme of weekly payments made to foster carers and the Progression Scheme for all foster carers. For full details please refer to the Progression Scheme documents available from the Fostering Service.

This payment scheme was developed following extensive consultation with foster carers, councillors and staff. It addresses many of the issues raised by foster carers about the previous complex system of payments.

The payment scheme is based on the payment for skills principles recommended by the Fostering Network, and the new Standards for Foster Care developed by The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) to ensure that all foster carers receive induction, training and support and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Annual inflation increases are made in April each year as agreed by Devon County Council.

2. Statement of purpose

The Fostering Services Regulations and the National Minimum Standards for Fostering state that a fostering service needs a clear statement of aims and objectives.

Devon Fostering Service’s statement of purpose is:

Devon’s Fostering Service works in partnership with children and young people, their families

and carers to provide safe, caring homes which value the differences in children and young people and help them to achieve their full potential.

We aim to achieve this by providing:

• safe, warm and caring family environments

• comprehensive support for children, young people and carers

• encouragement for children and young people to meet their full potential and to mark and celebrate their successes

• personal and group support for carers and their families

• a flexible service which respects individual needs and values diversity

• measurable outcomes which strive to achieve, or exceed, National Standards

• a professional service which is accountable, financially viable, and maximises partnership opportunities.

We are working to become a service which fully meets and exceeds the National Minimum Standards. A full version of our statement of purpose is available at www.devon.gov.uk/fostering

3. Basic principles of the payment scheme

Basic weekly allowances are payable to all mainstream foster carers and include an element to cover specific costs such as school excursions.

A travel allowance can be claimed individually by carers - see page 10.

The Carer’s Progression Scheme reflects a three-tiered approach and incorporates payments to all foster carers including mainstream, kinship, specific, concurrent carers


and carers in specialist schemes such as the Family Care Workers Scheme, Remand Carers and the Young People’s Accommodation Service. It recognises carer’s skills, experience and training and learning in caring for children and young people with more complex needs. See page 21 for payment levels.

It enables carers, should they wish to do so, and should they have the necessary skills and competencies, to progress and develop the skills to care for children with complex needs.

The payment scheme is designed to establish fair, equitable and transparent financial arrangements across the county. It is designed to make sure that foster carers and social work staff are clear about the payments to be made.

The Carer’s Progression Scheme is regularly reviewed. This payment scheme will be fully reviewed next year and any recommendations for amendments will be consulted on with carers, councillors and staff.

4. Payment of allowances

Devon County Council (DCC) wishes to make sure wherever possible that payments are made directly into the carer’s bank or building society account. This will save unnecessary administration costs. Carers are paid using the Bankers Automated Clearing System (BACS). Allowances are paid weekly, and cover the period from Monday to Sunday. They can be drawn on Friday mornings.

Foster care rates

The age groupings comply with the government prescribed age groupings for younger children, as set out in the National Minimum Allowance Rates for Fostering.

These rates are free from income tax, as long as they do not exceed your qualifying amount – see page 30.

Age group Old weekly rate 2009/10

New daily rate 2010/11

New weekly rate 2010/11

National minimum weekly rate 2010/11

Under 2 years £106.47 £15.62 £109.34 £1092–4 years £108.01 £15.86 £111.02 £1115–10 years £119.35 £17.50 £122.50 £12211–15 years £141.33 £20.73 £145.11 £14016+ £168.77 £24.73 £173.11 £164


What the weekly payments cover

These payments are designed to cover the full cost of caring for the foster child.

They incorporate all costs for:

• food

• clothing – initial clothing, replacement clothing due to wear and out-growing and school uniform

• pocket money

• personal and household expenditure

• equipment

• special outings

• dental and optical needs

• activities – including clubs and hobbies

• school activities – including trips, holidays and associated equipment

• telephone expenses.

Carers should keep receipts for all clothing. Appendix 1 on page 28 is a minimum clothing list which shows the minimum expectation when a child moves from one placement to another after six months of being looked after.

It is important that children in care are provided with appropriate, well-fitting clothing. It is the fostering supervising social worker and carer’s responsibility to make sure that a clothing list is completed at the start and end of every placement. If, when a child moves to a new carer after six months, it is found the clothing is not adequate, then the previous carer will be expected to reimburse the costs of the shortfall.

These full weekly rates will be paid pro rata for emergency placements, and for short term and longer term placements, to make sure that other disruption costs are covered, such as extra laundry involved in caring for a succession of children on a short term basis. Any part of a day

that a child is in placement is paid at a full day’s allowance. Where a child in foster care receives respite from another carer, both carers receive a full day’s allowance for part days - see page 28.

Budgeting

As in an ordinary household, foster carers will be expected to budget so that they can save money from the weekly allowance and use it as necessary during the year for expenses such as school trips.

Travel costs

These continue to be claimed as in previous years - see page 10.

Pocket money

The weekly rate includes money for a young person to have pocket money.

We believe it is unhelpful to be too rigid about levels of pocket money, but offer the guidelines below.

Levels need to relate to what is comparable in the young person’s own family, to what is given to the foster carer’s own children, and to what the young person can expect to receive when they leave the placement.

These are minimum figures, and it is recommended that carers create incentives by supplementing the weekly allowance with rewards for jobs done and good behaviour, and with extra for special events.

Age group Suggested minimum allowance

5-10 £411-16 £716 plus To be negotiated through the

Young People’s Pathway Plan.


Carers should encourage young people to apply for the Education Maintenance Allowance for any studies continued after the statutory school leaving age.

Emergency payments

Placements made in an emergency can be disruptive and, by their nature, can mean that carers need to provide for children immediately, before their weekly payment arrives.

In cases where children or young people arrive in an emergency with no clothing, or inadequate clothing, a cash payment of £100 for each child can be made direct to the foster carer. This does not need prior approval from the Children’s Area Placement Process (CAPP).

This payment is to provide for the immediate needs of the child and does not, for example, include the purchase of school uniform.

An additional payment for purchasing school uniform can be requested through CAPP in circumstances where a move has necessitated a change of school, or where the child arrives without school uniform.

Where they are made, these emergency payments are additional to the regular weekly payments.

The placing social worker and the carer should draw up a list of items to be purchased and the carer should keep the receipts.

Christmas and birthday allowances

These payments are intended to cover the costs of gifts, entertainment and incidental expenses.

Payments are made automatically two weeks in advance, to allow carers to buy gifts. If a child moves placement within those two weeks either the gifts or the allowance will transfer to the new placement.

These allowances are age-related, and are based on one week of the weekly rates.

Age group

New weekly rate

National minimum weekly rate 2010/11

Under 2 years

£109.34 £109

2–4 years

£111.02 £111

5–10 years

£122.50 £122

11–15 years

£145.11 £140

16+ £173.11 £164

Where children in placement observe a religious festival other than Christmas, this should be discussed with their social worker. The allowance will still be paid before Christmas, and carers and social workers should agree when it is most appropriately spent.

Holiday allowances

Holiday opportunities for children and young people in care should be made available and discussed with the child’s social worker and fostering supervising social worker and agreed as part of the Care Plan.

For example, where children accompany foster carers on holiday the carer will receive the holiday allowance. The holiday allowance will also be paid to carers taking holidays which are at home and day trips.

If the foster carer is not providing a holiday or at home and day trips, the holiday allowance may be used to pay for a holiday experience elsewhere. For example, a school trip abroad or residential holiday.


These payments are age-related and are based on two weeks of the weekly rate. Payments will not be made automatically, but will have to be claimed by foster carers at the appropriate time.

Holiday allowances are paid once a year for each child. Where children move placement during the year and the first carer has already received the holiday allowance, any payment to the second carer will be at the discretion of the Children’s Area Placement Process (CAPP), taking into account the child’s needs.

No additional discretionary holiday allowances will be paid.

The PEA is intended to support the wide-ranging learning needs of children in care and give them access to additional learning and development activities which have been identified in their Personal Education Plan (PEP). This could include various extra-curricular activities or support from personal tutors.

The PEA is not intended to replace, duplicate or substitute the services or support that Devon County Council, schools, carers or other practitioners already provide, for example:

• buying computers or equipment as there is an alternative DCC scheme to purchase IT equipment

• the support set out in a Statement of Special Educational Needs or in School Action or School Action Plus

• buying basic equipment that a child need for school, school uniform or equipment for physical education lessons as this money is included in the carer’s allowance

• paying for trips and visits organised by the school as part of the curriculum, for example, for day trips that are essential to the curriculum

• paying for alternative education for children in care on a fixed term or permanent exclusion

• funding equipment, such as bikes or camping equipment.

The child’s social worker, or a member of staff in the education setting, needs to make a bid for a PEA which supports the objectives and outcomes agreed in the PEP after the planning meeting. Forms and further information can be found at www.devon.gov.uk/j4s-formeducation

All bids will be considered and agreed by the Children in Care Co-ordinator.

Age group New rateUnder 2 years £218.682–4 years £222.045–10 years £245.0011–15 years £290.2216+ £346.22

Personal Education Allowance (PEA)

A Personal Education Allowance is an allowance of up to £500 for each child in care to Devon County Council each year who are at risk of not reaching the expected National Standards of Attainment and have been identified as eligible for additional support.

The aim of a PEA is to:

• prevent children in care from falling behind other children in their education

• if they are already behind, to help them catch up

• support better prevention and early intervention.


Additional costs

Costs for children’s personal needs and activities are included in the weekly allowance. If children are undertaking expensive activities, additional money may be identified through access to other funding, such as the PEA if related to a child’s learning needs, or various charities. Please discuss this with the child’s social worker or fostering supervising social worker.

Costs of up to £75 can be claimed as an additional contribution for young people in care to attend their prom or leaving party to celebrate the end of their GCSE year.

Children and Young People’s Services has purchased an ‘all risks and malicious damage’ insurance policy for foster carers. This provides cover for the carer’s property, and property belonging to members of their family permanently living with them. Carers need to demonstrate that their own household insurance does not cover the loss before making a claim. Vehicles are not covered by this policy. Cover is for loss or damage caused by a foster child. A claim form is available through the child’s social worker’s team. The policy excess is paid by the child’s social worker’s team.

This policy excludes fire damage caused by a foster child who has a history of arson. Separate cover would need to be sought through the placing social worker for such circumstances.

Claims need to be submitted immediately after an incident. Any claim made more than 30 days after cannot be considered by the insurers. Carers are advised to keep the damaged article, or photographic evidence where this is not possible, until the claim has been processed.

Please refer to Appendix 3: Summary of insurance cover for foster carers provided by DCC and arranged by Standard Securities.

In addition, Devon County Council’s Public Liability insurance policy provides cover for injuries to children in placement where the injury has been caused due to the carer’s negligence.

The policy also covers damage caused by the children to property belonging to members of the public. However, it does not cover damage caused by the children to the carer’s own property.

Any claims for injuries caused as a result of travel in a motor vehicle should be referred to the carer’s own motor insurers.

The Fostering Network also provides insurance cover to foster carers who have taken up the offer of individual membership, courtesy of DCC. Please refer directly to the Fostering Network for full details of this cover.

The Fostering Support Team in each area has a small budget to make discretionary payments and consideration will be given to assisting carers when:

• carers need specific furniture or equipment to care for a child with special needs

• carers are being approved to take siblings and may need to buy bunk beds

• significant additional furniture needs to be bought on approval, or where there is a change of approval

• equipment is needed to meet Health and Safety standards.

Please ask your fostering supervising social worker or fostering practice manager for more details.

Fostering support teams also have equipment which can be loaned to foster carers as required.


Costs incurred on behalf of CYPS

Hospitality costs for prospective foster or adoptive parents

We recognise that it is not always possible to accurately cost any additional meals on introductory visits by prospective adopters and foster carers - especially when they are taken as part of the foster family’s normal meals. Here is a guide.

• For overnight stays use local B&B rate to a maximum of £25 per person.

• For an evening meal or main meal there is a maximum of £7 per person.

• For snacks the maximum is £3 per person.

• For trips out there is the reimbursement of entrance fee, plus childcare costs at day care rates, see below.

Receipts will be required wherever possible.

Day care and evening babysitting rates

Recommended day care payments are £3.50 per hour per child - to be agreed in advance between the carer and CYPS. This is to cover day care expenses when the carer is asked to undertake tasks by CYPS.

Evening babysitting, where needed to allow carers to attend support groups for example, can be claimed at £3.50 per hour (not per child) to a maximum of £21 per evening. This is to be claimed against the youngest child in placement and claims are to be agreed in advance between the carer and CYPS.

To claim for childminding a PUMA V form is to be completed and the receipt from the childcare provider attached.

Receipts for babysitting, completed PUMA V forms for childminding and any mileage claims need to be sent to the relevant Finance Clerk for processing.

Payments to child minders who look after children overnight

These will be paid at weekly allowance rates, pro rata for each day or part day of the placement. The child minder must be registered for overnight stays.

Transport

Carers can now claim all allowable transport costs associated with the child. This is a change from previous years, where CYPS made certain deductions from the cost of transport. It is expected that wherever possible and appropriate, carers will be responsible for the transport of children in placement. Where a child travels by taxi, please see the new arrangements detailed in Appendix 4 page 41.

All car and bus journeys made solely on behalf of the foster child must be detailed on the claim form, which is submitted monthly to the child’s social worker.

Allowable costs include journeys:

• to school or college, unless a significant distance is involved, then transport arrangements will either be negotiated with carers or provided by CYPS

• to doctors, dentists, hospitals and other therapeutic clinics

• to make contact with family members and others, as negotiated with carers and detailed in the Care Plan

• in connection with the potential placement of a child.

CYPS will also meet the transport costs through the relevant Finance Clerk for carers attending:

• CYPS meetings, including support groups

• court

• training events.


The Fostering Service expects that carers will involve young people in their care in the normal activities of everyday family life - such as trips to the beach and weekend outings. These are not regarded as being costs associated solely with the child. However, transport costs can be claimed where activities have been previously agreed with the social worker, or form part of the child’s Care Plan.

Carers using their own cars

Please note there is a change in the deadline for mileage claims.

All the mileage outlined above must be claimed each month on the Voluntary Driver Form PUMA V clearly stating the meeting or type of training attended to make sure costs are taken from the correct budget. All claims made outside of a three month period will not be refunded - this is in line with all DCC employees making travelling claims.

The rate for mileage will be at the current Devon County Council rate. Carers will be kept informed of the current rate through the Fostering Newsletter.

Special journeys, for example those going out of county, need to be agreed as part of the planning and review process. The out of county mileage rate is the same as the Devon County Council rate for out of county travel.

Please note:

• if you are looking after two or more children of different ages, related or not, and taking them on the same journey please claim one trip for the youngest child

• it is the carer’s responsibility to make sure their vehicle has valid insurance which includes transporting foster children, MOT and road fund licence documents, and is in good working order.

Carers using public transport

All bus tickets for a child should be submitted each month. If a carer is accompanying the child on a bus journey, the carer should submit their ticket as well.

A bus pass for the young person should be considered if bus travel would be an appropriate and cost-effective alternative to transport by the carer. The full cost of a bus pass for school or college will be reimbursed. Where there is a delay in issuing a pass, carers will be reimbursed in full on submission of bus tickets for school journeys.

If you use a car and public transport please claim all costs.

Transport costs excluding mileage

Rear seat belts

At the approval stage, carers’ cars must be equipped with rear seat belts. If your vehicle is fitted with anything other than standard manufacturers’ belts, please discuss the situation with your fostering supervising social worker.

Child safety restraints

If a child has special needs, for example disabilities, then additional safety restraints appropriate to the child should be provided at the expense of CYPS.

Safety restraints purchased by CYPS remain our property. If the carer stops caring for children with special needs, the child safety restraints must be returned. If removal and return of restraints is impractical, please discuss this matter with the child’s social worker.

Guidance on child seat and seat belt laws

The law requires all children to be carried in an appropriate child restraint from birth until either they are 135 cm (4’ 5”) tall, or have reached the age of 12. They must then use a seat belt and it


would be preferable to use a booster seat until they are 150 cm (5’) tall.

Children under three years must use an appropriate child restraint when travelling in the front or rear of a car. They cannot be carried in a car that does not have seat belts, because it will not be possible to fit a child restraint.

Children aged 3–11 years and under 1.35m (4’5”) tall must use an appropriate child restraint when travelling in the front seat of a car, and when travelling in the rear of a car if seat belts are fitted.

It is the driver’s responsibility to make sure that all children use an appropriate child restraint or wear their seat belt.

Carers are expected to provide suitable child safety seats. If the purchase causes hardship, please discuss the situation with your fostering supervising social worker before any child needing a seat is placed with you.

Carers who use a motorcycle as their means of transport must seek advice and permission from the child’s social worker and their fostering supervising social worker before transporting any child in placement.

Assistance to foster carers with purchasing vehicles or adapting property

The CYPS Grant Programme contains a small allocation for contributing towards the purchase of a vehicle to help you care for foster children. The contribution towards vehicle purchase covers the requirements for a specialist vehicle - or instances where a vehicle is needed to transport children placed with a family, and the family would not otherwise need a vehicle, or would not need a multi-seat vehicle.

Financial assistance to adapt a vehicle, or a contribution towards vehicle purchase, is not an automatic right for a foster carer. Assistance is only given after an assessment of the child’s specific needs, or to meet essential Health and

Safety standards where foster carers cannot make alternative arrangements.

These requests are considered twice a year, in March and September, at the Fostering Management Group Meetings providing sufficient funds are available.

Except in exceptional circumstances, carers will be expected to contribute to the purchase of vehicles and adaptations.

Where property adaptations or extensions are funded, loans will cover structural alterations only. Furniture and fittings are not included.

Foster carers looking for assistance should talk to their fostering supervising social worker who will consult with their practice manager, before providing them with detailed information on the Capital Programme funding, and the relevant application forms.

Membership of the Fostering Network

Mainstream, Kinship, Family Care Workers Scheme, Remand, Concurrency and Young People’s Accommodation Service foster carers will be invited to join the Fostering Network paid for by CYPS.

Retainers

The weekly rate paid to carers where a child is temporarily absent from the foster home is the standard weekly rate (see page 5) with the following exceptions.

Children in hospital

Normal payments will be made for the first four weeks. Anything spent on comforts for the child, and travel to and from hospital, is to be met from these allowances. After four weeks, all allowances will be reduced by 50%. Carers Progression Scheme payments will continue at the full rate if the placement is to continue, providing that the carer is continuing to support the child while they are in hospital.


In exceptional circumstances, for example life-threatening illness, the situation should be reviewed before the end of four weeks hospitalisation and discretion used as to whether to reduce the allowances.

Children on holiday

Normal allowances will be paid for up to four weeks.

Children attending boarding school or residential college

Foster carers who offer a long-term placement, and are regularly available for a child attending a boarding school, will receive retainers while the child is away at school. They are calculated as:

• where a child is a termly boarder, and is with the carers for the school holidays only, the retainer will be 25% of the normal allowance, plus 25% of the Carers Progression Scheme payment. Carers should seek independent tax advice about the CPS element – information is available from the Fostering Network’s Fosterline on 0800 040 7675, or from your local tax office, see page 30

• where the child is with carers every weekend and school holidays, the retainer in the child’s absence will be 50% of the normal allowance, plus 50% of Carers Progression Scheme payment. Carers should seek independent tax advice, see page 30.

In addition to these retainers, pocket money allowances will also be paid to the child at boarding school.

Full allowances are payable while a child is with the carers.

Children who abscond

Retaining fees will be paid on the same basis as for children in hospital.

Payments for retaining foster carers when a child is placed at home with parents or others with parental responsibility

Where a placement with foster carers needs to be retained as part of the Care Plan, all allowances will continue to be paid for the first seven days. After this, if the placement needs to be retained for a longer period, subject to agreement from CAPP and the carers, the Carers Progression Scheme payment will be paid at the full rate as well as 25% of the child’s boarding out allowance.

Approved places being held by CYPS

Where carers are approved for more than one placement, but one is not being used at the request of CYPS because of the needs of a child already placed there, a discretionary payment can be made. Any request for such a payment should be made to the appropriate Children’s Area Placement Process (CAPP).

When a placement is retained with agreement from an Operations Manager or CAPP

The carer is to be paid at full rate (weekly allowance and relevant progression level) for first seven days, then will be paid a retainer of 25% of the weekly allowance and relevant progression level for no more than one month.

When a young person is remanded in Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP)

Agreement to retain a placement needs to be sought on a case by case basis through CAPP.


In situations where special furniture, equipment, or car safety restraints are assessed as being necessary to care for the child, CYPS should supply these.

Parent and child placements

Devon County Council will pay at two different rates, depending on the type of placement. If there is a dispute, the Children’s Area Placement Process (CAPP) will adjudicate on the placement type.

Type A - parent and child assessment placements

Criteria

• Usually the legal position is one of an Interim Care Order.

• The child is believed to be unsafe at home.

• The parent is believed to be unable to provide safe care, even with daytime services.

• Separation would undermine the need to gather assessment evidence of parenting.

• The parents may be unco-operative.

• The foster carer is likely to be expected to provide assessment and detailed reports to courts.

• These are placements considered as a direct alternative to residential parenting placements.

Payments

• Basic weekly allowance at the appropriate level for the child’s age.

• Basic weekly allowance at 16+ level for each of the parents in placement, or at the appropriate level if under 16.

Shared care placements

There are a small number of placements where foster carers are providing shared care arrangements – often these are shared with a parent or grandparent. Such placements may involve three to four days each week at the carer’s house.

The principles to be adopted are:

• full allowances and relevant CPS payments will be made to the foster carer while the child is in placement

• where the child is with the carers on average three full days or over of any week, then 50% of the weekly allowances and 50% of the CPS payment is due. Carers should seek independent tax advice, see page 30.

Extended rehabilitation

Where a rehabilitation plan is phased over a period of months, and the child is still living with the foster family but spending increasing periods of time with their birth family, full weekly allowance and CPS payments will be made for the first two months.

For rehabilitation plans extending over two months, the principle is that foster carers are not penalised for keeping a placement open. So full CPS rates are paid throughout the rehabilitation period, and a percentage of the weekly allowance reducing to 50% for months three to six, on days when the child is not in placement. For longer periods, agreement should be made at Care Planning meetings.

Children with special needs

The child’s social worker should make sure that any relevant disability allowances are claimed. Carers are expected to be able to evidence how the allowances are being used to benefit the child.


• CPS payments – regardless of whether the carer is Tier 1 or 2 – one for the child, plus one for each parent in the placement. The increased payment for carers reflects the skills required to manage the complexity of this type of placement.

Type B - parent and child support placements

Criteria

• The parent is in need of support, advice and assistance to provide safe care.

• There is a need for observation and assessment.

• The parent is likely to be co-operative with the plan.

Payments

• Basic weekly allowance at the appropriate level for the child’s age.

• Basic weekly allowance at 16+ level for each of the parents in placement, or at the appropriate level if under 16.

• Current CPS payments for the particular carer – one for the child, plus one for each parent in placement.

There is an expectation, that where parents are over 16 years old and either receiving benefits or eligible for benefits, they will maintain full financial responsibility, and provide for their own, and their baby’s needs while in placement. This includes food, clothing and nappies. Financial arrangements need to be clearly agreed at the pre-placement planning meeting. No deductions will be made from the Foster Carer Allowances.

For both Type A and Type B placements a Christmas and birthday allowance will be paid for the child only, unless the parent is also a child in care. Holiday allowance for the child is paid at the discretion of CAPP.

Special fostering payments

Since the Local Government Review in 1998 agreement has been reached between Plymouth, Torbay and Devon County Council about rates. The agreement is that the authority placing a child will pay the rates of the carer’s home authority. For example, if a Torbay child was placed with Devon carers, Torbay would pay Devon rates.

This agreement also includes the payment of any special fostering rates.

School meals

Children in foster care are not entitled to free school meals, even if they were receiving them while living at home.

Even if foster carers are receiving benefits which entitle their own children to free school meals, those for foster children must be paid for from the weekly allowance.

Contact

Where the care planning allows, it is expected that foster carers will allow up to two contacts a week (maximum three hours per session) in their own home and, if appropriate, to supervise them.

Where there are multiple placements, or where the carer’s own family’s requirements need to be considered, then the placing social worker will agree with foster carers the maximum amount of contact that can take place in the foster home without undermining ordinary family life and routines.

For carers who are willing to facilitate formally supervised contact, either in their home or at an agreed venue, in addition to the 2 sessions per week we expect carers to provide additional payments can be made with the agreement of CAPP. Carers can also offer to supervise additional contact for children not placed with them.


payment, excluding the day of departure and the day of return.

Any existing respite arrangement will be honoured while the current children remain in placement. This will only change if the placement or Care Plan is altered and respite arrangements are no longer required, or occur at a different frequency.

If, for any reason, a respite arrangement is made and then has to be extended due to unforeseen circumstances, for example the unexpected length of illness of a carer or member of their family, then the placement must be reviewed and given to the future funding of the arrangement.

Overpayments to foster carers

Overpayments are reclaimable, except:

• where an overpayment is up to, or equal to, one week’s allowance and Carers Progression Scheme payment, and has occurred due to the unexpected removal of children

• where an overpayment is up to, or equal to, three days allowances for any other reason than that mentioned above

• where the overpayment exceeds three days, the whole amount will be reclaimed, however that overpayment has occurred.

Overpaid allowances, however overpayment has occurred, should normally be repaid in full immediately. However it may be possible, in exceptional circumstances, to recover the overpayment by installments at the discretion of the head of service.

Carers have a responsibility to notify their locality finance clerk in the event of an over or underpayment, especially if it has not been rectified within two weeks. Foster carers can do this by contacting the appropriate placement co-ordinator.

The payment rate in respect of this additional supervised contact will be at scp 20 (currently £9.56 per hour). Carers wishing to offer this service need to inform their supervising social worker and will be provided with training in how to supervise and record these contact sessions.

Sibling contact, where only the foster carers, are involved will be excluded from additional payments as we expect carers to facilitate this for CiC placed with them.

Respite

Respite breaks have an important role to:

• maintain a child in their own family environment

• support and maintain complex placements as part of an agreed placement or Care Plan

• assist carers in maintaining placements when emergencies or unforeseen circumstances arise, for example the illness of a carer or member of their family; or the need for a break if the situation in the carer’s home becomes critical due to the deterioration of a child’s situation.

Respite breaks for children normally living at home with their family

The respite carer receives both the weekly allowance, and the appropriate Carers Progression Scheme payment pro rata.

Respite arrangements to support placements

Any such arrangements must be detailed in the child’s placement or Care Plan, and reviewed and amended regularly as part of the care planning process and agreed at CAPP.

The respite carer receives the weekly allowance for the child and the appropriate Carers Progression Scheme payment pro rata.

The primary carer keeps the weekly allowance for the duration of the respite, but loses the CPS


Carers subject to allegations

If a carer is subject to an allegation that necessitates the removal of the child to allow an investigation, the carer will be entitled to eight weeks payment of the weekly allowance in place at the time of the child’s removal.

The Carers Progression Scheme payment will cease at the point of removal of the child. If the investigation is not complete within eight weeks, it is at the discretion of the director or the head of service for children in care and care leavers, whether any further payment should be made. Any such carers should first of all be referred to the fostering operations manager.

If an allegation is made while the carer is between placements, and so not receiving any allowances, it is at the discretion of the director or head of service for children in care and care leavers service as to whether any payment shall be made.

Carers subject to allegations will be entitled to independent support through Foster Talk’s, ‘Foster Carers Independent Support Service’ (FISS). This will be initiated through the respective fostering practice manager who will authorise an initial 10 hours support. Any additional support required will be at the discretion of the fostering operations manager.

Additional payments made to carers and young people in care

Fees for carers offering training to others are paid at an hourly rate, and include time taken for preparation. Please make claims for the Skills to Foster courses and the information evenings using the PRISM Form 7M and clearly state the title of the group or training attended.

Skills to Foster and courses from the post approval training programme £16.40 an hour where carers co-deliver training as a trainer.

• Contributor. As an experienced foster carer contributing to a Skills to Foster session, payment is £20 for a half day and £40 for a full day

As a young person in care contributing to a Skills to Foster session, payment is by £20 voucher for a half day and £40 voucher for a full day.

• Information evenings £20 per session, which is paid as a voucher to young people in care.

• For attendance at peer guides, foster carer strategy group and mentoring payment made to foster carers for attending these meetings and carrying out all the duties of their role is £90 per quarter.

• Babysitting costs incurred as a trainer or contributor to training course of £3.50 per hour per child maximum. To be agreed in advance between the carer and CYPS.

• Travelling costs (current Voluntary Driver Rate), when contributing to training or information evening mileage paid at current DCC rates. Prospective carers attending the Skills to Foster course, and approved carers attending courses on the Carer Training Programme, are also able to claim travel costs at this rate. Claim forms will be issued at courses.

Any other unavoidable costs incurred while contributing to courses may be met at the discretion of the CAPP. This would not include reimbursement of lost earnings.


County Council – there will be no expectation of the carer collecting money direct from the young person.

Foster carers working with teenagers will, in consultation with the fostering supervising social worker, young person and their social worker, begin to offer the young person opportunities to manage some of their own finances. Each situation is different, but the guiding principles are:

• each young person will have a plan which determines how and to what extent they begin to manage their finances. For example, gradually beginning to receive money from their foster carer to plan and cook meals, and to buy clothes. The CD Rom Preparation for Adult Life provides many practical suggestions and advice on how young people can be supported in developing independent living skills

• plans made for an individual young person will be tailored to individual needs, the lifestyle, and the family expectations of their carers

• foster carers will receive formal training and assistance in working with young people to develop budgeting and life skills

• while individual circumstances will vary, CYPS is aiming for consistency in payment arrangements.

Care leavers

At 15 years 6 months the young person should be introduced to their leaving care worker. The leaving care worker will consult with the carer and fostering supervising social worker, assess the young person’s needs as a care leaver and develop the Pathway Plan which will be completed by the young person’s 16th birthday. Case responsibility will transfer to the leaving care worker around this point. The Pathway Plan will be reviewed at least every six months.

Working with teenagers and care leavers

Payments for care leavers 16–18 years

As young people in foster care grow older and begin their teenage years; we are committed to working with them and their foster carers to plan for adult life. In line with government policies, Devon County Council is keen to support young people to remain with their foster carers until the age of 18 years and beyond.

This is a gradual process, and each young person matures and develops at a different rate. However, all young people need help in making the transition to adult life as they gradually take on more responsibilities for themselves. The Pathway Plan (the Care Plan for those over 16) identifies the goal for all areas of a young person’s life especially their future education, training, employment, social life and financial independence and how we are helping them to prepare for independent living.

Young people will be supported to remain with their foster carers and carers will receive a Boarding Out payment for 16 and 17 year olds, plus their carers progression scheme payment. After 18 the young person will no longer be in care, so fostering allowances no longer apply. The majority of young people in care aged 16 years or older now stay in full-time education or training. Young people in this position are not able to claim Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance or Housing Benefit, but may qualify for Education Maintenance Allowance.

If a young person does go out to work full time the carer will continue to receive their Boarding Out payment allowance and Carers’ Progression Scheme payment. If in full time work after their 16th birthday the young person will be expected to make a financial contribution to their living expenses. This will be agreed according to a set formula based on the young person’s income. This payment will be made to Devon


This plan should include a gradual development of increased responsibility for the young person in managing their own finances and in developing skills they will need to live a more independent lifestyle, such as cooking and shopping.

It is likely that foster carers will work with the young person to enable them to buy some, or all, of their clothes, and to plan food purchases and cooking. This will require the foster carer to give the young person money from their weekly allowance. The recommended weekly payment for a young person to receive from carers is £22. But this is not a prescribed amount – it is at a level agreed to meet the needs of the individual young person. It is likely that young people will put this money towards social activities and extra clothing, although the use of the money is flexible.

Education and training

A young person may be able to receive:

• an Education Maintenance Grant Allowance of £30 a week

• a Dowry of up to £200 a year to support them with their Pathway Plan

• help from CYPS with:

registration fees

course fees

exam fees

equipment needed

course books

activities to do with the course

transport to and from the course centre

any clothes needed to do the course

• a Setting Up Grant of up to a £1000 when they are leaving care which can be used for setting up costs. It does not need to be spent in one go but can be used until the young person reaches 21. The young person can also claim for their TV licence and contents insurance for their first year of independent living. Driving lessons (where it is a need identified in their Pathway Plan may also be funded.

Care leavers – post 18 support

The 2008 Children Act states that local authorities should develop a Staying Put policy that allows young people over the age of 18 to remain with their carers.

It is recognised that many care leavers, like other young people who live with their parents sometimes until their late 20s, should be able to remain living with their carers if this what they wish or need to do. CYPS shares this ambition and to enable young people to remain with their carers we propose:

• at the first review of the pathway plans it should be discussed whether it is appropriate for a young person to Stay Put, that is to remain with their carers after their 18th birthday. By having this discussion early and gaining the necessary approval it provides security to the young person and allows them to focus on developing their educational and training plans

• the criteria for considering whether Staying Put is appropriate for a young person maybe because their 18th birthday falls early in the academic year, or they have started a college course which will last until the following July or longer and they will need the stability of their current placement to support them in completing the course. It may be that the young person needs more time to resolve personal problems or more time to increase their confidence in coping on their own


three placements. Any Staying Put placement will count towards that number

• the financial support available to the young person will change as they are no longer a child in care and they will be able to access, where appropriate, state benefits

• they will be able to claim Housing Benefit and the monies received will be paid to CYPS and contribute towards the cost of the placement

• the young person may be entitled to claim Income Support if they are in non-advanced education or a single parent carer; Job Seekers Allowance or the new Employment and Support Allowance if they have a limited capacity to work. From this income, they will be expected to contribute £20 per week toward the cost of their food, heating and lighting. This money will be paid to Devon County Council. If the young person is working and receiving a wage they will also be expected to make a contribution towards their care

• to comply with the fostering standards and regulations the young person will have to be CRB checked. The fostering service routinely CRB checks all members of a fostering household, including children and young people in care, from the age of 16 years. This will need to be arranged before their 18th birthday

• if the young person is attending university or has joined the armed forces and it has been agreed that a retainer is to be paid, it is recommended that when they are at home, during holiday time and weekends the carer should receive the full Staying Put allowance of £175 per week. While the young person is at away, a retainer will be paid to carers at 25% of the Staying Put allowance.

• if the Pathway Plan is to extend, the young person’s placement must be agreed with the foster carer, the young person’s social worker and the supervising social worker

• The social worker must then seek agreement from the operations manager for car leavers and the head of service. It must be clear how long the Staying Put period is for and its purpose

• once a young person reaches 18, they are no longer a child in care and the placement can no longer be classed as a foster placement. The legal basis on which they occupy the property becomes one of an ‘excluded licensee’ and they are effectively lodging in the carer’s home

• if the young person has enduring health and learning issues they may meet the Adult and Community Services criteria for financial support and help and the arrangements for continuing the placement will fall under this scheme. This is likely only to apply to a few young people who are supported by the Joint Agency Service

• under the Staying Put arrangements carers will continue to have a fostering supervising social worker as carers remain approved foster carers in line with the requirements of the National Minimum Standards. The carer will provide a similar level of care and the young person will be able to benefit from living in the household and having access to kitchen and laundry facilities

• the carer will receive a Staying Put allowance of £175 a week. For those young people who are placed with Family Care Workers the rate will be that of a second placement. In exceptional circumstances a higher rate of payment can be considered, but this will need to be agreed by the head of service. Foster carers can only be approved for a maximum of


Support for a young person over 18 in education

If the young person continues in further education, at university or college or further training courses, they should be encouraged to take a part time job to meet their personal needs, social activities or clothing.

If a young person continues in education and training over the age of 18, CYPS will help with expenses as set out under Education and training on page 19 until the young person is 24 years old.

In Higher Education, CYPS will pay tuition fees as well as give the young person a termly allowance. This is based on the National Student Union’s figure. Students in these circumstances will be expected to take out a student loan of no more that £2000 a year.

Financial implications for foster carers can be found on the Fostering Network website or in their leaflet Caring for a Young Person Aged 18 plus. HMRC Help Sheet 236 provides advice on tax and national insurance for hosts and carers - See page 30.

5. Carers Progression Scheme

The new Carers Progression Scheme continues to recognise carers’ skills, experience, professional learning and development. It aims to make sure that children with the most complex needs are placed with carers whose experience and competencies meet those needs. Details of the scheme are published separately, and include the rules for approving progression.

The three tiers for the scheme

Each foster carer must make sure that they take advice from their local tax office about their employment status and tax position. For current guidance from the Inland Revenue see page 30.

The principles of the Carers Progression Scheme

The new Scheme, based on National Recommendations outlined in Care Matters, reflects a transparent three-tiered approach. All carers will receive the aged-related fostering allowance and also receive a payment appropriate to their competency level for each placement.

a) Tier 1 includes newly-approved mainstream, kinship, concurrent and specific carers and all carers who, through choice, do not wish to progress through the structure beyond Tier 1.

b) Tier 2 is all mainstream carers who have been approved as a foster carer for at least two years and have met all the requirements of the scheme to progress to this level.

Grade Old weekly rate 2009/10

New weekly rate 2010/11

Tier 1 £42.49 £43.68Tier 2 £86.73 £87.78Tier 3 As detailed below


6. Remand foster care

Remand carers receive a weekly fee of £354.06, which is a daily rate of £50.58 (the rate for year 2009/10 was £344.82, a daily fee of £49.26) plus the relevant age-related weekly allowance. Carers should seek Independent Tax Advice, see page 30.

When a placement is retained with agreement from an operations manager or CAPP, the carer is to be paid at 50% of the Remand weekly fee for the first seven days, then will be paid a retainer of 25% of the weekly fee for no more than one month.

c) Tier 3 includes Family Care Workers, Remand and Young People’s Accommodation Service carers. Entry to this Tier is only when there are available vacancies or opportunities.

Progression will be determined by:

• carers demonstrating that they have met the competencies for their Tier and that they are undertaking to work at a higher level

• the successful completion of training as set out in the Carers Individual Development Plan. New carers will need to complete Core Training before they move to Tier 2. All carers will need to evidence that they have done 28 hours of learning each year

• regularly attending Foster Carer Support Groups as a way of receiving and giving support, learning about fostering and contributing to the development of the fostering service. Foster carers are expected to evidence a minimum of 50% attendance each household each year, a minimum of 6 attendances out of 12 each year

• achieving 75% of time with a placement - providing the service is able to offer suitable placements

• achieving a positive review, including feedback from children’s social workers, children and birth parents.

Progression will be discussed at each carer’s annual review.

Progression will occur annually in April.

It is possible for carers to move down the levels as well as up. Where a carer wishes to retain their current level and has been unable to demonstrate certain competencies, an action plan will be agreed between the carer, their fostering social worker and practice manager. This will be referred to the operations manager to agree.

7. Young People’s Accommodation Service

The service was revised on 1 April 2009 to follow the principles of the foster care payments using three bands of payment.

This service will provide for children and young people who are under school leaving age, or who are between 16-21 (24 if still in full time education), who have been assessed as needing a placement with carers who can manage young people who have high and complex levels of need, and this cannot be provided in the Devon Youth Action Scheme.

Young people referred to this scheme will normally be over 15 years of age and will have a Pathway or Care Plan which states that they need a family placement to enable them to move on to independence.

Under 16’s clothing allowance

Any request needs to be made on an individual basis and applied for through CAPP.

Personal allowances

£16.54 per week should only be paid to young people who are 15 ¾ as per the care leavers’ model. The personal allowance should change to the higher amount after the last day of term for Year 11, for example Friday 25 June 2010.


Any young person under age 15 ¾ should receive the recommended pocket money allowance as per the fostering model.

Birthday and Christmas allowances

For young people up to the end of year 11 in placement, the approved fostering Christmas and birthday allowance should be paid.

If the young person is in placement after the end of Year 11, then the care leavers’ allowance of £77 should be paid as a birthday and Christmas allowance. This payment will cease after the young person’s 18th birthday.

If a young person is remaining in a YPAS placement beyond their 18th birthday, it is expected that the weekly payment to the host will be £281.82 per week. It is unlikely there will be any exceptions to that rate, however, should it be felt that a higher rate is appropriate this would have to be agreed through CAPP before their 18th birthday.

Further consideration will be given during 2010/11 to ensuring wherever possible similar arrangements for young people in foster care and YPAS are achieved.

The three bands of payment

placements and type B support placements.

Young people placed at Band 2 are those who:

• have a limited education programme

• are post-16 Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)

• have additional support needs that result in carer having to provide supervision during the full day.

These carers will meet Band 2 competencies.

Band 3

Young people placed at this band will normally have one or more of these behaviours or circumstances:

• challenging or chaotic behaviour

• offending or anti-social behaviour and those tagged, bailed or remanded

• learning disability or mental health problems

• drug, alcohol or substance misuse

• multiple placement moves

• need an emergency placement

• returning to DCC from independent sector provision

• moving from secure unit accommodation.

Carers will meet Band 3 competencies. In very exceptional circumstances additional support hours or payment may be required when extra staffing is needed in the placement to manage the young person.

Carers on this scheme may receive one of the following payments weekly, depending on the complexities of the young person; to include the relevant age-related weekly allowance. On occasions, second placements may be made and these will be paid at 50% of the cost of a full-time placement each week.

Carers on this scheme are advised to seek Independent Tax Advice, see page 30.

2010/11 weekly rate

2010/11 daily rate

Band 1 £281.82 £40.26

Band 2 £359.80 £51.40Band 3 £462.63 £66.09

Band 1

This is the usual rate for placements, and includes 20 hours of support that the carer provides for the young person for the basic expectation of the Pathway or Care Plan. For example, contact with family, health, education and leisure plan. Carers will meet similar competencies as Band 1 carers.

Band 2

Young people placed will include parent and child placements - both type A assessment


Emergency payments

It is not usual for a child to be placed on the FCWS in an emergency straight from home, but if this occurs £100 payment can be made for essential clothing, see page 7.

Christmas and birthday allowances

The principle of payment has been agreed inline with mainstream carers, see page 7.

Transport

The principle of payment has been agreed inline with mainstream carers, see page 10.

Retainer

This is 50% of the full FCWS rate to be paid from the point of placement being agreed for the first main placement, 25% of full rate for second placements, see page 12.

Young people in hospital

Normal first or second FCWS rate for the first four weeks and after that 50% of the full rate for the first placement and 25% of the full rate for the second placement.

Young people on holiday

Normal first or second FCWS rate for the first four weeks. Carers are expected to buy anything reasonably required by the young person for the holiday, including spending money.

Young people attending boarding school or residential college

FCWS carers who offer a long-term placement and are regularly available for a young person who is attending a boarding school will receive retainers while the young person is away at school.

Where a young person, placed as a single placement, is a termly boarder and is with carers for the school holidays only the retainer will be 25% of the FCWS fee.

8. Family Care Worker Scheme (FCWS)

Carers in the Family Care Worker Scheme receive a weekly fee of £520.52, (daily fee £74.36), which includes the cost of caring for the young person and the reward element for the placement. Carers need to take individual tax advice, see page 30.

Second placements

There are occasions when the FCWS can offer two full-time placements. The payment for the second placement will be £260.26 per week (a daily fee of £37.18) which includes the cost of caring for the young person and the reward payment for the second placement.

FCWS payments 2010/11

The FCWS weekly fee will be capped at £520.52 per week for the 2010/11 financial year. Any second placement payment fee will be at 50% of the full FCWS rate. The second placement fee will be set at £260.26 per week.

Second placements will not carry the same degree of difficulty in terms of the young person’s behaviour or level of need. Matching will need to be considered carefully.

When the young person who is the first placement leaves, if another young person has not been placed in the 28 day notice period, payment for the second placement will be increased to the full rate until another young person is placed.

At that point, depending on the level of need of the new young person being placed, a re-assessment will be made as to which young person meets the criteria for first payment rates.

Holiday allowance

The principle of the payment has been agreed inline with mainstream fostering and will be exactly the same age-related rate as mainstream; two weeks payment each year. FCWS related rates are not applied in this instance, see page 8.


Where the young person is with carers every weekend and school holidays the retainer in the young person’s absence will be 50% of the normal FCWS fee.

Where a young person is placed as a second placement, is a termly boarder and is with carers for the school holidays only, the retainer will be 25% of the FCWS second placement fee.

Where the young person is with carers at weekends and school holidays the retainer in the young person’s absence will be 50% of the normal second placement FCWS fee.

Full allowances for either first or second placements are payable while a young person is with the carer, including day of departure and return.

Children who abscond

Full FCWS rates to be paid as long as the placement remains viable.

Young person at university

The principles of payment for the FCWS carers has been agreed inline with that of mainstream foster carers, see page 21.

Shared care

The principle of payment has been agreed in line with mainstream fostering rates, but with applicable FCWS rates for first or second placements.

Children with special needs

The principle of payment for the FCWS carers has been agreed inline with that of mainstream foster carers, see page 14.

Parent and child placements

The FCWS criteria would not normally include parent and child placements. However, there are occasions, for example, when a young person becomes pregnant and it is in the best interests of the parent and baby for them to remain with

the current FCWS carers. In this instance the carer would be paid at full FCWS rate for the parent and at 50% of FCWS rate for the child.

Respite

FCWS carers are entitled to 14 days respite for each child, each year, on a pro rata basis. For example 1.16 days for each completed calendar month that the young person is in placement. The full allowance is to be paid to the carer on both the day of departure and return. It is recognised that where a young person has been placed on a long-term basis and, for example, a family holiday has been planned, the carer may not have accrued enough respite. In this instance respite can be paid in advance, however, should the placement then end prematurely any overpayment of respite will be reclaimed.

The following is an explanation of the procedures used to calculate FCWS respite and payments in lieu of respite:

Each financial year we set up a spreadsheet listing all the current carers and their placements, with placement start dates and their anticipated total of respite allowance days (which begins with 14 on 1 April). Against each child placement with each carer, the period and number of days of respite taken (or paid in lieu of respite) is input as each authorised CS103 is received, and the total is adjusted until all 14 days have been used.

Any further periods of respite taken are noted as unpaid, and the carer informed through their support worker that they will be unpaid for that and any future periods of respite during that financial year, unless there is a CAPP decision to pay additional respite.

If the placement start date is after 1 April, the anticipated total respite allowance is calculated pro rata. Similarly, when a placement ends the actual allowance due is calculated on a pro rata basis. At that time, if any residual allowance has not been taken, it will be paid in lieu of the


Carers subject to allegations

The principle of payment for Family Care Workers Scheme carers has been agreed inline with that of mainstream carers with first or second FCWS placement rates applicable. Further payments will be made at the discretion of the director or assistant director of CYPS, see page 17.

Notice period

Notice period payments will reflect payments made for first or second placement.

• 28 days notice for a first placement will be paid at £74.36 per day.

• 28 days notice for a second placement will be paid at £37.18 per day.

Notice period applies where the child’s social worker requests that the placement ends, if the young person refuses to return to the placement or where the FCW service deems the placement no longer viable, for example, where the young person is placing carers or members of the household at serious risk.

Notice period payment will cease on the day a subsequent placement is made. Where this is a respite placement, the notice period will cease for the period of respite, then be reinstated until the notice period ends or another placement is made.

Where the carer ends the placement without due notice, and there is no serious risk involved, the 28 day notice period is not applicable.

respite; and if there has been an overpayment of respite, this will then be reclaimed.

Each period of respite is noted on the spreadsheet using exactly the dates paid to the respite carer as on the CS103. for example for a period of respite from 8-14 June, the respite carer receives seven days payment and the main carer has used seven days of their allowance; if short weekend break of 13-14 June is taken, two days are paid to the respite carer, and two days from the main carer’s allowance have been used.

All respite placements will be paid at the full Family Care Worker Scheme Rate, whether they are first or second placements.

Respite in lieu

While not wishing to move away from the principle of allowing 14 days paid respite to carers each year, we know that occasionally we need to look at other options for carers and young people, rather than providing an alternative placement in every instance. For example, carers can receive double FCWS for up to 14 days, if they have a family holiday and take the young person with them, and accept this in lieu of paid respite.

Any requests for additional respite over and above the 14 days must be agreed through CAPP in advance.

Overpayments

The principle for overpayments to FCWS carers has been agreed inline with that of mainstream foster carers, see page 16.


9. Concurrency Scheme

For Concurrency carers who are dually approved as adoptive parents, and foster carers approved for the Concurrency Scheme only, payments are the standard rate payable is as per the foster care rates on page 5 plus the equivalent of Statutory Adoption Pay. Currently, Statutory Adoption Pay is £123.06 per week.

This is payable for 40 weeks or until the placement becomes an adoption placement, whichever is the longest.

A placement becomes a placement for adoption when the match has been taken to the Adoption Panel and the decision maker has decided to approve the match or when the Placement Order is made; whichever is the latest.

Should the concurrency placement end because the child returns to the birth family before or after the 40 weeks, then the placement will be held open for an agreed period, depending on the circumstances, and payments continued for that period, to facilitate the child’s return to the Concurrency Carers if necessary.

As a guiding principle, a retainer at full rate could be paid for the first four weeks, followed by a payment at 50% of the full rate for a further four weeks.

Mileage to take the child to and from contact and other appointments will be paid as for other foster carers.

10. Complaints

In the event of disagreement about allowances that cannot be resolved by discussion between the carer, their fostering supervising social worker and the relevant locality team, carers should refer to the CYPS complaints procedure.

This is available from local offices or

Customer Services Officer, Children and Young People’s Services, Room 120, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, Devon EX2 4QR

Email [email protected]

If carers do not feel that their complaint has been dealt with adequately by the complaints procedure, they can contact

Ofsted, Royal Exchange Buildings, St Ann’s Square, Manchester M2 7LA

Tel 08456 404045 about education, adult skills, or DCC children’s services

Tel 08456 404040 about any other aspect of our work.

Email [email protected]

11. Questions or queries

If you have any queries about the foster carer rates, contact your fostering supervising social worker; your local CYPS office or the fostering operations manager.


Secondary school age children

• 3 sets of night clothes

• 1 leisure jacket or coat

• 6 pairs of socks or tights

• 6 pairs of knickers or pants

• 3 bras (girls)

• 3 tops (such as t-shirts)

• 3 bottoms (trousers, skirts, shorts)

• 3 jumpers, cardigans or sweatshirts

• 1 pair of slippers

• 1 dressing gown

• 1 pair of leisure/play shoes or trainers

• 1 pair of wellies

• 1 pair of school shoes

• 1 school coat

• 2 sets of school uniform

• 1 set of sports gear/swimwear

• 1 holdall or suitcase

Primary school age children

• 3 sets of nightclothes


• 4 vests

• 6 pull-ups, if needed



• bras as needed (girls)

Appendix 1 Minimum clothing list

This list has been drawn up by foster carers as a guide to the minimum that should be handed over when a child moves from one placement to another.

An assessment of a child’s clothing needs will be included in the Placement Plan. Carers are required to make a list of all clothing when children arrive, and when they leave. This can then be countersigned as an accurate record. A form is available from your local Fostering Team. This will avoid any issues arising at a later date about inadequate clothing.

Wherever possible the continuing contribution of those with parental responsibility should be encouraged. The statutory reviews offer opportunities to address clothing needs and make sure that they are being met appropriately. The clothes should be sufficient quality and size to last for the next three months.

Foster carers are accountable for the money they have received for clothing, and for making sure that when the child moves on they are adequately and appropriately clothed. Please keep receipts.






• 1 dressing gown or sleep-suit

• 1 pair of leisure/play shoes


• 1 pair of school shoes

• 1 school coat

• 2 sets of school uniform

• 1 set of sports gear/swimwear


• 1 hat and pair of gloves

Pre-school age children

• 3 sets of nightclothes


• 4 vests

• 6 nappies or pull-ups if needed








• 1 pair of leisure/play shoes

• 2 sets of school uniform, if needed




Babies – birth to one year

• 3 sets of day clothes

• 3 sets of nightclothes (or babygrows)


• 6 vests

• 12 nappies






• 1 red book

Everything must fit and be in good condition.


Foster carers

Foster Care Income Tax Exemption

If you provide foster care to children and young people placed with you either by local authorities or voluntary fostering organisations, we will usually treat you as being self-employed. However, your income or profits from such care will usually be exempt from Income Tax.

This exemption does not include private fostering arrangements. So if you receive payments from the parent of a child for looking after them you will not qualify for the Income Tax exemption. Private foster carers should calculate their profits in the normal way.

The foster care exemption applies on a tax year basis. If the income from foster care is not for:

• a period of 12 months, or

• a period from the date you started providing foster care to 5 April 2009, or

• a period from 6 April 2008 to the date you ceased providing foster care

you should ask us, or your tax adviser, for advice on how to complete your Tax Return.

Appendix 2 Tax advice for carers from the Inland Revenue

Check with your tax office for the most up-to-date information. This text is taken from HM Revenue & Customs Help Sheet 236.

This Help Sheet gives you information to help you fill in boxes in:

• the self-employment (short) and (full) pages of your personal Tax Return, or

• the Trading pages of the Partnership Tax Return and the Partnership pages of your personal Tax Return.


How does your Income Tax exemption work?

If your total receipts from foster care in the tax year (the period from 6 April to 5 April) do not exceed your qualifying amount, those receipts will be free from Income Tax for that year. This means that, for tax purposes, you will be treated as having made no profit or loss from foster care for the year.

What is your qualifying amount?

Your qualifying amount consists of two parts which you should add together:

• an annual fixed amount of £10,000 for each household for 2008/9

• if two or more carers in the same household separately receive payments for foster care, the fixed amount should be applied to their combined receipts

• if you are a registered foster carer for less than a full year you can claim an appropriate proportion of your fixed amount

• plus a weekly amount for each foster child placed with you. For the tax year 2008/9, the amount is £200 a week for each child aged under 11 and £250 per week for each child aged 11 or over.

Your qualifying amount does not affect your personal tax allowance. If your foster care receipts are exempt, the full amount of your personal allowance is available to use against any other income you might have.

The foster care exemption does not affect any income you may have from other sources, for example, from employment or from investments. Such other income will be taxed in the normal way.

What happens if your total foster care receipts exceed your qualifying amount?

If your total receipts from foster care exceed your qualifying amount, you have

two options for calculating the tax you have to pay.

• The profit method, where you pay tax on your actual fostering receipts minus your actual expenses and capital allowances.

• The simplified method, where you pay tax on your actual receipts from foster care minus your qualifying amount. If you use this method, no account is taken of your expenses or capital allowances.

You may wish to use the profit method if your allowable expenses and capital allowances are more than your qualifying amount, in which case your taxable profit will be less than that if you use the simplified method. If you decide to use this method, you will have to keep a detailed record of your receipts and expenditure.

If you wish to use the simplified method you must notify us within one year after the end of the filing date for your Return. You can make your notification by completing your Return and submitting it by the filing date.

What are your total receipts from foster care?

Your total receipts from foster care are all the payments (fees, salaries, reward payments, allowances) you receive from your local authority, including those payments you have previously treated as being non-taxable.


as though they were the total receipts of the tax year in which your accounting year ends. Likewise, the qualifying amount for the tax year is treated as being the qualifying amount for your accounting year.

Example 3

Ruth’s annual accounting date is 30 September. Her total receipts from providing foster care for one child aged fifteen for the whole of the year to 30 September 2008 and one child aged six for twenty weeks of the same year are £20,000. She is the only foster carer in her house. Her qualifying amount for 2008/9 will therefore be made up as follows:

Fixed amount £10,000

Child 1 (52 x £250) £13,000

Child 2 (20 x £200) £ 4,000

Qualifying amount £27,000

As Ruth’s total receipts from foster care for the year ended 30 September 2008 of £20,000 are less than her qualifying amount of £27,000, they are therefore exempt from tax for the year.

Example 4

Ruth’s circumstances are the same as in Example 3 except that her total receipts from foster care for the year ended 30 September 2008 are £32,000, which are greater than her qualifying amount. Her total expenses and capital allowances are £22,000 and so she has made a profit of £10,000 from providing foster care for 2008/9. She can therefore choose between:

• the profit method, so she would pay tax on her actual £10,000 profit, or

• the simplified method, which would mean she pays tax on the difference between her total receipts of £32,000 and her qualifying amount of £27,000, that is £5,000.

Example 1

John’s total receipts from providing foster care for one child aged fourteen for the whole of the year and one child aged eight for ten weeks of the year is £20,000.

No other foster carers live in his house. His annual accounting date is 5 April. His qualifying amount will be made up as follows:

Fixed amount £10,000

Child 1 (52 x £250) £13,000

Child 2 (10 x £200) £ 2,000

Qualifying amount £25,000

As John’s total receipts of £20,000 are less than his qualifying amount, they are exempt from Income Tax for 2008/9.

Example 2

John’s circumstances are the same as in Example 1, except that his total receipts from foster care for the year are £30,000. His total receipts are now greater than his qualifying amount (£25,000). He can therefore choose between the profit method or the simplified method to calculate the tax he has to pay.

John’s total expenditure and capital allowances for the year are £22,000 and so his profits from providing foster care are £8,000. Under the profit method, John will pay tax on his actual profit for the year of £8,000.

If he chooses the simplified method, John will pay tax on the difference between his total receipts of £30,000 and his qualifying amount of £25,000, or £5,000.

What if your accounting date is not 5 April?

If your annual accounting date is other than 5 April, the foster care exemption treats your total receipts from foster care in your accounting year


Completing the self-employment pages

Enter the following details on the self-employment (short) pages:

• if your total receipts from foster care are not more than your qualifying amount

• enter ‘foster carer’ in box 1, put ‘X’ in box 4 and enter zero, ‘0’, in box 30

• leave the rest of the self-employment (short) pages blank

• if your total receipts from foster care exceed your qualifying amount and you use the simplified method

• enter ‘foster carer’ in box 1 and fill in boxes 2 to 7, as appropriate

• enter your total receipts in box 8, your qualifying amount in box 19 and the net amount in boxes 20 and 30.

Enter the following details on the self-employment (full) pages:

• if your total receipts from foster care are not more than your qualifying amount

• enter ‘foster carer’ in box 1, put ‘X’ in box 12 and enter zero, ‘0’, in box 75

• leave the rest of the self-employment (full) pages blank

• if your total receipts from foster care exceed your qualifying amount and you use the simplified method

• enter ‘foster carer’ in box 1 and fill in boxes 2 to 13, as appropriate

• enter your total receipts in box 14, your qualifying amount in box 30 and the net amount in boxes 46, 63, 72 and 75

• if your total receipts from foster care exceed your qualifying amount and you do not wish to use the simplified method fill in the

Self-employment (full) pages by entering your total receipts, allowances and balancing charges in the normal way.

Losses

Normally there cannot be a tax loss in a year when your foster care receipts are exempt. So if your total receipts are less than your qualifying amount you have no tax loss for that year. However, overlap relief can create a tax loss. This may occur when you change your accounting date or you cease to provide foster care. In such circumstances you should approach your tax adviser or ask us for help.

Any losses from earlier years, when you were not exempt, are not lost – they are dealt with as follows:

• losses can be set against your profits from foster care in the usual way if your total receipts from foster care exceed your qualifying amount. This applies whether you have calculated your profit by using the profit method or by using the simplified method

• losses brought forward will be carried forward to set against the profits from foster care of a later year if your total receipts from foster care do not exceed your qualifying amount and you therefore have no tax to pay on that income.

What about foster care partnerships?

Children are placed with individuals, not with partnerships. However, we accept that a partnership can carry on a business of providing foster care. Where this is the case, a Partnership Tax Return should be completed on the basis that the qualifying amount relates to the partnership rather than to the individuals involved in the partnership.


Small Earnings Exception

If your annual earnings from self-employment are low (less than £4,825 a year for 2008/9), you can apply for a Small Earnings Exception once you have registered. This means that paying Class 2 NICs is optional if your earnings are below £4,825.

Class 4 NICs

All self-employed people are liable to pay Class 4 NICs on taxable profits above a threshold. For 2008/9 the rates are 8% on profits between £5,435 and £40,040, and 1% on profits above that. If your foster care receipts are exempt, and you have no other self-employed income, you will not have to pay Class 4 NICs for the year.

If the taxable profit exceeds the Class 4 NICs exempt threshold, you should complete boxes 99 to 101 of the self-employment (full) pages and boxes 35 and 36 of the self-employment (short) pages as normal. Further explanation is included in the self-employment notes.

How will this affect National Insurance Contributions (NICs)?

In practice we will treat your taxable profit from foster care as earnings from self-employment for NICs purposes. If you are exempt, your taxable profit is nil.

Registration

All self-employed people aged 16 and over who are below State Pension age are liable and must register to pay Class 2 NICs. These are set at £2.30 a week for 2008/9.

We are aware that a number of foster carers may not have registered for Class 2 NICs because they make little or no taxable profit. We will not impose a penalty on foster carers who fail to register or to apply for the Small Earnings Exception (see below) where foster care is the only source of self-employed income and your taxable profit is nil.

However, if you choose not to pay Class 2 NICs, you should be aware that your entitlement to Incapacity Benefit, Maternity Benefit, State Pension and Bereavement Benefit may be affected.

If you have not previously registered to pay Class 2 NICs, you can get further information by calling the Newly Self-employed Helpline on 0845 915 4515.

If you are currently registered to pay Class 2 NICs, you can get further information by calling the Self-employed Helpline on 0845 915 4655 instead.


Adult Placement Carers

You are an adult placement carer if:

• you provide accommodation, care and support to an adult who has been placed with you by either a local authority or an independent body under an adult placement scheme, and

• you provide care for between one and three adults.

If you are an adult placement carer, you can use the following simplified arrangements so that you do not have to keep full records to determine your taxable profit. They apply to schemes which are registered with the relevant care standards inspectorate, or unregistered schemes which comply with the National Association of Adult Placement Services’ (NAAPS) good practice standards.

You can use these arrangements as long as you do not provide full time care for more than three adults at any one time in the year. However, you are not required to use these arrangements: you may instead determine your taxable profit by keeping full records of your income and expenses. If you do choose to do so, you are outside the simplified arrangements and you should complete the Tax Return in the normal way.

The simplified arrangements apply for accounting periods ending between 6 April 2008 and 5 April 2009 inclusive.

How do the simplified arrangements work?

As an adult placement carer you have a choice of methods for calculating your taxable profit.

If you are a full-time carer with between one and three adults in care at any one time during the year, you can choose to calculate your taxable profit in one of the following four ways:

• the Rent a Room method. Under this method your taxable profit is the payments you receive each year minus £4,250. If the amount you receive is less than £4,250 your taxable profit is nil

• the fixed expenses method. Under the fixed expenses method you deduct from the amount you receive, fixed expenses of £400 a week for the first adult and £250 a week for the second and third adults that you care for at any one time. If the total of the fixed expenses is more than the amount you received, your taxable profit is nil. If the total of fixed expenses is less than the amount you received then you can choose to pay tax on this difference

• the profit method. You are required to keep full records of your actual income and allowable expenses for the year. Your taxable profit is the payments you receive minus any allowable expenses or capital allowances

• the sampling method to determine a fair estimate of regular expenses for the year by keeping records of your allowable regular expenses for three months, and then multiplying up. Add the total to your other allowable expenses to arrive at your total allowable expenses for the year. Deduct this amount from your income for the year to calculate your taxable profit for the year.


Example 6

Quentin’s circumstances are the same as in Example 5 except that he receives £30,000 for providing care.

Fixed expenses method. Quentin calculates his profit as £3,200.

receipts £30,000

minus fixed expenses £26,800

profit £ 3,200

Sampling method. Quentin calculates his profit as £900. His records of regular expenses for three months (13 weeks), with two adults in care, shows allowable expenses of £3,900. He has other allowable expenses of £5,600 for the year

regular expenses

weekly expenses (£3,900/13) £ 300

weekly expenses for each adult (£300/2) £ 150

total for the year ((52 + 24) x £150) £11,400

other allowable expenses £ 5,600

total allowable expenses £17,000

Quentin also claims capital allowances on his car of £ 2,100

receipts £30,000

minus expenses £17,000

minus capital allowances £ 2,100

profit £10,900

If you wish to claim loss relief you must use the profit method.

Capital allowances are not available if you use either the Rent a Room method or the fixed expenses method. Capital allowances are available if you use the sampling method.

Example 5

Quentin provides care for one adult throughout his accounting year to 31 October 2008, and for a second adult for 24 weeks.

he receives £20,000 for providing care

Rent a Room method. Quentin calculates his profit as £15,750.

receipts £20,000

minus Rent a Room relief £ 4,250

profit £15,750

Fixed expenses method. Quentin calculates his profit is nil

fixed expenses

adult 1 (52 x £400) £20,800

adult 2 (24 x £250) £ 6,000

total fixed expenses £26,800

the total fixed expenses are more than his receipts. The fixed expenses method cannot result in a loss, so the profit is nil


Respite carers

As a respite carer you can have the same choices for calculating your taxable profit as a full-time carer.

Additionally, if you provide no more than 182 days of care in a year (add together the number of days of care for each adult) you can treat your taxable profit as nil.

Carers of children other than foster care

If you provide accommodation and a significant degree of care to a child who has been placed with you through a care scheme operated by a local authority or an independent body, you can use the same methods for calculating the tax you have to pay as an adult placement carer.

Completing the self-employment pages

Enter the following details on the self-employment (short) pages:

• if your taxable profit calculated using the simplified arrangements is nil

• enter ‘carer’ in box 1, put ‘X’ in box 4 and ‘0’ in box 30

• leave the rest of the self-employment (short) pages blank

• otherwise

• enter ‘carer’ in box 1 and fill in boxes 2 to 7, as appropriate

• enter the receipts in box 8, the expenses in box 19 and the taxable profit in boxes 20 and 30.

Additionally, if you are using the sampling method, and want to claim capital allowances, enter ‘sampling method’ in box 1 and complete boxes 22 to 25.

Enter the following details on the self-employment (full) pages:

• if your taxable profit calculated using the simplified arrangements is nil

• enter ‘carer’ in box 1, put ‘X’ in box 12 and ‘0’ in box 75

• leave the rest of the self-employment (full) pages blank

• otherwise

• enter ‘carer’ in box 1 and fill in boxes 2 to 13, as appropriate

• enter the receipts in box 14, the expenses in box 30 and the taxable profit in boxes 46, 61, 72 and 75.

Additionally, if you are using the sampling method and want to claim capital allowances, enter ‘sampling method’ in box 1 and complete boxes 48 to 58 as appropriate.

How will the relief affect National Insurance contributions (NICs)?

In practice we will treat your taxable profit under the simplified arrangements as your earnings from self-employment for NICs purposes.


Small Earnings Exception

If your annual earnings from self-employment are low (less than £4,825 a year for 2008/9), you can apply for a Small Earnings Exception once you have registered. This means that paying Class 2 NICs is optional if your earnings are below £4,825.

Class 4 NICs

All self-employed people are liable to pay Class 4 NICs on taxable profits above a threshold. For 2008/9 the rates are 8% on profits between £5,435 and £40,040, and 1% on profits above that. If you are exempt you will not have to pay Class 4 NICs.

If the taxable profit exceeds the Class 4 NICs exempt threshold, you should complete boxes 99 to 101 of the self-employment (full) pages and boxes 35 and 36 of the self-employment (short) pages as normal. Further explanation is included in the self-employment notes.

These notes are for guidance only and reflect the position at the time of writing. They do not affect any rights of appeal.

Registration

All self-employed people aged 16 and over who are below State Pension age are liable and must register to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions (NICs). These are set at £2.30 a week for 2008/9.

We are aware that a number of carers may not have registered with us because they make little or no taxable profit. If caring is your only source of self-employed income and your taxable profit is nil, we will accept that you need not register with us and apply for the Small Earnings Exception (see below).

If you choose not to pay Class 2 NICs, your entitlement to Incapacity Benefit, Maternity Benefit, State Pension and Bereavement Benefit may be affected. If you have not previously registered to pay Class 2 NICs, you can get further information by calling the Newly Self-employed Helpline on 0845 915 4515.

If you are currently registered to pay Class 2 NICs, you can get further information by calling the Self-employed Helpline 0845 915 4655 instead.


Appendix 3 Summary of insurance cover for foster carers provided by Devon County Council and arranged by Standard Securities

A. All risks and malicious damage

This provides cover for foster carers’ property and property belonging to members of their family permanently residing with them. Cover is in respect of loss or damage caused by a foster child and also includes wilful damage maliciously inflicted by the child’s natural parents. There is no limit as to the age of the foster child or young person in care.

It is not intended as a substitute for sensible household insurance and does not cover situations where a claim can be made against an existing buildings or contents policy. It does cover malicious damage and theft by a foster child, including theft of money up to a maximum of £250. The maximum in respect of theft of jewellery by a foster child is £2,000. Loss or damage to carers’ motor vehicles is excluded.

The limit of cover for any one occurrence is £100,000 excluding the first £150 of each incident.

Claims procedure for A

A claim form can be obtained from the Council when required. It should be completed as soon as possible after the incident and returned in the first instance to the Council who will forward it to Standard Securities. The important points to remember are:

• the age or date of birth of the child causing the damage should be indicated

• invoices for damaged or stolen items should be provided if available

• it is essential that an estimate or evidence of replacement cost be provided with the claim

• for lower cost items extracts from a reputable catalogue are acceptable

• an incident which may give rise to a claim must be notified within 30 days. This applies particularly where there is an injury to a foster child

• for larger claims the insurance company may wish to appoint a Loss Adjuster.


Claims procedure for B

The telephone number of the Legal Helpline is 0870 264 6943, and is available 24 hours a day throughout the year. The insurance reference number, STS14488 should be quoted.

For more serious incidents, a claim form should be obtained from Standard Securities. When contacting Standard Securities you will be asked for your name and full address to enable the claim form to be issued.

The above provides brief details of the insurance cover currently in force. For full details of the conditions and exclusions reference should be made to the policy documents which are available for inspection if requested. Further details can be obtained from the Council or alternatively Standard Securities, 236/8 High Street, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1PA Tel 0208 642 7634

B. Legal advice and legal expenses insurance

This policy gives free legal advice in connection with possible legal action and legal expenses of the foster family in connection with their fostering activities, incurred:

• in attending and representing them at a police station after their arrest up to a maximum of £1,000

• in defending a prosecution brought against them in a criminal court for the mistreatment or abuse of a foster child placed with a family up to a maximum of £100,000

• in defending a civil action brought against them in an action arising out of their duty as a foster carer up to a maximum of £2,000

• in appealing against a judgement under Section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1999 up to a maximum of £2,000.

The policy does not cover payment of damages which may be awarded against the carer.

The policy covers foster carers and their own children residing with them under the age of 18. The limit of indemnity in respect of any one claim is shown above, with no policy excess.


Appendix 4 New Transport Coordination Service arrangements

The finance team supporting children in care and care leavers has set up a new process with the Transport Coordination Service (TCS). Two members of the team, Frances Leeper and Carrie Winnall, will liaise with social workers to make the bookings for transport with TCS.

We have also agreed with Transport Coordination that foster carers will be able to cancel a service at short notice directly with the taxi firm when this is out of office hours, for example:

• if one morning your foster child is obviously too unwell to attend school and transport needs to be cancelled before the office opens

• if weekend contact arrangements are cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

If you need to make out of hours changes contact Frances or Carrie later in the day or on the next working day to inform them. They will inform Transport Coordination Service.

If you need to make a cancellation during office working hours, please inform the child’s social worker as usual.

By contacting Frances or Carrie we will be able to check that we are being charged correctly.

Contact

Frances Leeper

Tel 01392 384757 Email [email protected]

Works Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings

Carrie Winnall

Tel 01392 384060 Email [email protected]

Works Wednesday afternoons, Thursdays and Fridays

During April the team is relocating and we should have one telephone number for Frances and Carrie which we will send out together with the start date once finalised.


North and Mid Devon20 St Georges RoadBarnstapleEX32 7AU

01392 388060

South and West DevonParkers BarnParkers WayTotnesTQ9 5UF

01392 386064

Exeter and East DevonMagdalen House56 Magdalen RoadExeterEX3 4TL

01392 384955

Family Care Workers SchemeThe GablesGables LaneWillandCullomptonEX15 2PL

01884 34351

Family Care Workers Scheme Windmill HouseAshburton RoadTotnesTQ9 5JT

01803 867847

[email protected]

Remand Fostering Scheme and Kinship Care Parkers BarnParkers WayTotnesTQ9 5UF

01392 386064

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