Help with a fostering compaint

[Plotter]

***** Children's Services placed our 2 grandchildren with us following an incident at their Mothers house. They initially claimed it was a 'private arrangement' but when pressed admitted they were initial placed under section 47. We raised a complaint saying we regarded them as 'looked after' and that we were fostering them. They refuse to accept this is the case saying that the children don't have alegal status and that we continuing to care for them under Section 17. What should our approach now be to persuade them that we are in fact fostering?

[Robin D]

Hi.

Welcome Plotter.

Please remove the name of the local authority from your post. Many LA's read these forum's and it could give you difficulties that you don't need!

I suggest the best bet for up-to-date advice is to call the advice line. It's free and confidential. 0808 801 0366. Mon- Fri, 9.30am-3pm excluding Bank Holidays.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi Plotter,

Welcome to the friends and family carers forum.
Thank you Robin for your help as well.
Robin is right about keeping details of where you live confidential as well as your personal details and the details of your grandchildren. This forum is on the web so can be read by everyone.

In respect of your question-I suggest that you ask children services to put in writing their reasons for refusing to assess you as foster carers.

Ask that this be done within a timescale such as 14 days. If you do not get a response within that time you could forward your correspondence to a senior manager-such as the service manager.
You could also remind children services of the facts of how your grandchildren came to live with you.
If you have not done so already, you could set out a chronology of how your grandchildren were placed by children services. The events leading up to it, how they came to you, what was said at the time. Was it meant to be a temporary arrangement?
Was any agreement signed that said that contact between mum and her children had to be supervised?
Do you know what would have happened if you were unable to look after your grandchildren? Would they have been placed in stranger foster care?
Was Mum free to take the children home at any time?

Was money or payment ever discussed at the time when they were “placed” with you?
If it was, and you agreed that you would not be expecting any payments, then you might have difficulty in arguing your case.

Here is our advice sheet about placement with relatives in an emergency .
Page 13 onwards deals with fostering in an emergency and how children can be placed with relatives or friends after certain checks have taken place and before a full fostering assessment.

Also have a look at 21- which sets out support for different legal arrangements as well as your situation from page 15 onwards.

Here is the Local Government Ombudsman’s report about friends and family carers
Family Values .

It sets out how local authorities have let down children placed with family and friends and the compensation that she has suggested be paid.

If you do not get a positive response from children services, you can always challenge by way of the formal complaints process. Have a look at our advice sheet about
how to challenge decisions and make complaints .


.
As Robin says, you should also try and get advice from an adviser on our advice line.

Best wishes,

Suzie

[LISALOU68]

I was in a similar position children's services asked me if I could look after the children but then claimed it was a private arrangement I got some good advice and help with writing a letter asking for financial assistance from the FRG helpline and I did get an allowance shortly after, maybe u should go for SGO or Child arrangements order as they seem to want to have children adopted so it saves them money, good luck