Advice needed

[JDY]

Does previous involvement 30 years ago preclude connected person from fostering? My children were deemed as failure to thrive but I have evidence of this being untrue as one didn’t absorb fat properly and the other was allergic to formula milk. Also other issues where I have be proven right when they forced my children to be stripped and weighed on a weekly and monthly basis which has left them with issues around hospitals and my daughter suffered with anorexia as a teenager and always had issues with this.
Is it really up to the childrens family to take them on, as most people do? They get their SGO and that’s it, apparently without support? Financial or otherwise.
Does ill health crohns arthritis and depression preclude someone from fostering?
Is it right that to be allowed to foster and thus get any support One must show that one can do it without support first?
Without knowing the SGO support package being offered how does anyone make an informed decision on what to do?

[DB182]

Hi I'm not much use to you with the information you need but suzie will be able to help you..First I'm sorry for your lost..I would try taking it as far as you can because the way I see it is if your good enough to care for the children through a sgo then your good enough to care for them by fostering...I think it all depends on just how much support you want/need and if you want the local authority in your life..fostering is very hard let me tell you with everything that's involved. We have just done it for our 3 year old grandson...their out at your house every 6 weeks doing visits...the training classes your signed up for are just unreal I didn't know if I was coming or going within 6 months I'd done 28 courses. When my grandson came to us just over 12 months again we knew he wouldn't go back to mum. And we knew all along we would go for the sgo. It's not about the money for us. It was about giving our grandson a normal stable life without the local authority involved in his life. That's not normal for a child. I was looking after him putting him bed then having to do a course there was no time for me and my partner who had been at work all day to have a chat.. with the sgo you have none of that. They offered to keep paying us for 2 years then it's means tested to be honest we probably won't get a penny after that but we will get by. I think back to my mum having 8 of us and times was hard but we was clothed. Fed and loved. And that's all children need they want to be loved and cared for and warm...Trust me you will get through it. I know it's scary but it will all sort it self out...hear if you want to chat

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear JDY

Thank you for your further post relating to your complaint and the outcome of your meeting at stage 2 of your complaint.

From your post, you are still dissatisfied with the outcome and, as such, you can consider if you wish to continue with your complaint to the next stage (Stage 3). If you are still unhappy with at that stage of your complaint, then you would be able to ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to look further into your complaint.
Please look again at the information which was sent to you previously regarding making a complaint.

You have given information regarding your educational qualification and work history but these in themselves are not what an assessment would look at when considering someone to be a foster carer. The assessment covers all aspects of the person including family history, health amongst other things. I see you mistrust the local authority’s motive in offering a support package in respect of your application for a special guardianship order. As they are not treating the children as looked after (the reason for your complaint), it is within their discretion whether to offer a special guardianship allowance. It is sometimes the case that someone may not pass a fostering assessment but can be approved for special guardianship. In your case they have not done the fostering assessment of you. This is, of course, part of your complaint regarding your care of the children.

Your solicitor will be able to advice you further and, should you wish to speak to an adviser, please telephone our advice line on 0808 801 0366.

I hope this is helpful.

Best wishes

Suzie

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear JDY

Thank you for posting again.

In your post you are asking if previous involvement with children’s services would preclude someone from fostering. You also mention that the reason for children’s services involvement was not, in your view, correct as there were medical reasons for the failure to thrive that was of concern at the time. The involvement with your children caused them to have issues as adults.

Children’s services when assessing a person as a foster carer will look at historical information but it would depend on the circumstances as to the weight given to that history. The assessment is a comprehensive one looking at past, current and the children’s needs and what is best for them in a long-term placement.

Regarding, families taking on the care of children, some are happy to obtain a legal order to care for the children without any children’s services involvement. If children’s services become involved and/or the children are looked after, then they may carry out a fostering assessment. Where is the assessment is for a special guardianship order, a support package will also be considered based on the needs of the children, financial support which is means tested is included in the package. The financial package is based on the financial assessment and the person applying for special guardianship would be given an indication of the amount of special guardianship allowance.

Please see information here about financial support .

A person’s physical and mental health is looked at but it will depend on how these issues might impact on care of the children and their particular needs which would inform whether a person can continue caring for the child or children concerned.

Your solicitor and you should receive a copy of the support package prior to the special guardianship order being made, this will give you the opportunity to see if you agree it will meet the needs of the children.

If situation arises that a special guardian believes that they need more support in the future for the children in their care, it is always possible to ask children's services for help and support.

Please read more about special guardianship here .

I hope this helps.

Best wishes

Suzie