Kinship carers fostering allowance.

[Jnan]

Hi, well we are now 1 week away from our granddaughter moving to us under a kinship care order. We have been told we will be receiving a foster carers allowance but are also aware of a foster carers fee. Will we be entitled to this as well? Our granddaughter is severely disabled so any payments would be at a higher level. Thanks.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Jnan

Thank you for your post, I apologise for the long delay in responding.

I am not clear what you mean by a ‘kinship care order’, but if there is a Care Order in place, the local authority (and the parents) have parental responsibility and you do not and you should ask the local authority about any foster carers enhancements that you may be entitled to. Here is our advice sheet about becoming a foster carer.

In a previous post you mentioned an application for a special guardianship order. If you are special guardians please see the section on our website that cover this.

The Government has some information about additional support for families with a disabled child on their site and here are two other charities that might be helpful to you. Contact and the Family Fund.

I hope this is helpful.

Best wishes

Suzie

[Happylil]

brother who has additional needs & delayed mental age. The placement is due to come to an end in 10 months time due to him turning 18 he wouldn’t meet the threshold for supported accommodation. For him to leave at 18 it wouldn’t be possible and would have a massive impact on his mental health and also his additional needs and I’ve been advised that there is a way of getting an extension within the placement to the age of 24, due to children having additional needs or certain disabilities that would impact on them, living independently I just wanted a little bit more advice around this if possible . Has anyone had a experience like this. thanks

[Robin D]

Yes we have about 20 years ago. We had a long term foster child who was a Ward of the High Court, but the County Council still paid the fostering allowance while a child. He had congenital heart disease and was there very limited in what he could do. We asked the LA to continue payments and they refusedso the Childrens' Rights Officer in the area where we then lived (Different authority) threatened to make an application to the High Court before he reached 18 and they immediately capitulated. We/He got payment until he left our home to live independently aged 21.

You need to approach the local authority now. Almost certainly they will prevaricate. You need to quote the ‘Staying Put" scheme. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... idance.pdf
I believe it can continue to age 25 under certain circumstances.

Fostering Network has very helpful guidance at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/ ... taying-put

You may need to complain right the way through to stage 3, if they do refuse. You can then refer it to the Local Government Ombudsman.

I hope this helps.

Edit to add: It's worth looking now to see if he can apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if not already getting DLA. If approved, payment is backdated to the date of application.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

brother who has additional needs & delayed mental age. The placement is due to come to an end in 10 months time due to him turning 18 he wouldn’t meet the threshold for supported accommodation. For him to leave at 18 it wouldn’t be possible and would have a massive impact on his mental health and also his additional needs and I’ve been advised that there is a way of getting an extension within the placement to the age of 24, due to children having additional needs or certain disabilities that would impact on them, living independently I just wanted a little bit more advice around this if possible . Has anyone had a experience like this. thanks

Dear Happylil

Welcome to the kinship carers’ discussion forum and thank you for posting.

My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group and I will be responding to your post. I see that you are very concerned about the arrangements for your disabled brother and what will happen when he reaches 18 in 10 months.

It is of concern if there are no ongoing plans for him as a child leaving care Children’s services should have been working on a pathway plan for him and he should have a personal advisor who will support him. As another poster has mentioned in a response to your post, they should also be considering the staying put procedure for him. If your brother is not able to care for himself after the care order ends, then it is likely that he will be transferred to the adult disabilities team who would then be responsible for his ongoing care and support.

Please see information on our website relating to leaving care

Children’s services have specific duties to children in their care under a court order and you can read more. here

You can read about staying put if this is something that you consider would be helpful to your brother. You mention developmental delay so not clear if he is able to make any decisions for himself. If he is considered not to have the capacity to make decisions children’s services may consider applying to the Court of Protection and there is a link to information about court and their work

I hope this information is useful and should you wish to speak to an adviser you can do telephone our advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3.00pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays)

Best wishes

Suzie

[Happylil]

Hi, thank you for your response. I really do appreciate I have been advised by the adult disability team that my brother wouldn’t meet the threshold and when he comes into relation of the pathway plan, he also doesn’t meet the threshold for that. He’s only classed as a qualifying child Due to the special guardianship placement with myself, he isn’t classed as a looked after child within the care system that would then get the additional support around accommodation. I I have been trying to contact the service on a couple of occasions but I have not managed to get through to an advisor as I do believe it would be best to get some advice on this..
I feel it’s really wrong that a child with disabilities and complex needs doesn’t meet the threshold for the disability services that support children with disability team and then there’s nothing out there for them going into adult hood .. My brother is currently 17 and no team have made no arrangements for a pathway support plan for him which raises more of a concern for my self a parent to what the future looks like for this very vulnerable young lad . The only thing he has is an educational support plan which will remain for him to stay in education till24 if his home placement isn’t stable unfortunately he wouldn’t be attending any education… this is why I’m really need some advice on this

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Happylil

Thank you for your updating post. The advice you received in the previous response was on the basis that your brother was a looked after child in your care. You have now clarified that you have a special guardianship order for your brother,

He is not a child leaving care for whom the leaving care reg-ulations apply so the local authority will not do a pathway plan as suggested previously.

You do not say if your brother was looked after (section 20 voluntary arrangement or an interim care order (ICO). If he was, then he may be eligible for support depending on period he was looked after. Please see information. HERE

Your brother as an adult would be entitled to be assessed in respect of his needs and it may help if you speak with adult social care at your local authority.

As a 17-year-old your brother could ask children’s services to accommodate him under s.20. Also, children’s services have a duty to 16/17-year-olds relating to housing needs see in-formation HERE from our website and from Child Law Advice website

This TABLE might give you a better understanding of what your brother may be entitled to have.

I hope you find this helpful.

Best wishes

Suzie