Family and Friends Carers

[malcolm2851]

We have been looking after our six month old Grandson for the past three weeks after he was placed with us by social services following a court hearing under a temporary order. We were given less than a weeks notice and only received the social worker's recommendation the afternoon before the court hearing. We are currently being assessed as both foster carers and Special Guardians. We are told that we would receive financial help as my wife has had to give up her full time job, but we are unsure what financial help we are entitled to, as to date we have received nothing, while social workers blame each other for the delay. Can anyone please inform us what financial help we are entitled to? malcolm2851

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear malcolm2851

Welcome to the family and friends discussion board. My name is Suzie, one of FRG's online advisers.

You have stated in your post that you are caring for your grandson who is placed with you under an Interim Care Order. Therefore, he is looked after and Children's Services share parental responsibility for him with the mother (and perhaps the father), and the Local Authority are entitled to make key day to day decisions in respect of his care.

If you are approved as a foster carer, you will then be entitled to backdated fostering allowance which is not means tested. It means you should be paid at a similar rate to unrelated foster parents. However, you would not have parental responsibility in relation to him.

Under a special guardianship order (on the other hand), you would have parental responsibility to the exclusion of anyone else who may already have it.

In this instance, you could ask to be assessed for special guardianship order allowance or a discretionary means- tested payment that should be part of discussions held throughout your assessment.

In addition, a special guardianship order support plan is a written undertaking and outlines the type and level of support that has been agreed by the Local Authority, in order to support the placement.

If you should have any further queries, please feel free to post back with more questions about your situation. Alternatively, you may wish to speak to an adviser on our advice line on 0808 801 0366 Monday to Friday 09.30 am to 03.00 pm.

Best Wishes

Suzie