Privatised foster care - Did you know about it?

I know people that work for them, it’s scandalous what they charge and what goes on.

Money for old rope it’s a disgrace and kids are failed. 🥲

I can’t quote peoples posts but when we looked into it it was £625 per child a week. These were children with disabilities though

We didn’t explore it further so you are all most probably right. I don’t know

DaisyAnneReturns

MaizieD

I know a lot of people don't like to follow social media links, but this one is relevant to this topic.

Financial problems with children in care in Hartlepool and apparent government indifference.

bsky.app/profile/barheys.bsky.social/post/3mg33icvzrs2j

An already biased view then.

What on earth do you mean by that comment DAR?

A Labour minister telling a local authority in one of the most deprived areas of the UK that they shouldn't be 'rewarded' for having so many children in care? It isn't the fault of the council that they don't have enough money to provide for them.

Biased?

The process for assessing, training and supervising (supporting) foster careers is exactly the same for independent agencies and local authorities. Both are governed by legislation and Fostering Regulations. As others have said, independent agencies have been around for almost 40 years and came about because, even then, Local Authorities were struggling to cope with the demand for placements. The need for placements has risen dramatically over the intervening years. Sadly, LA fostering services have declined still further alongside the growth of IFA’s.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the disparity in pay between LA and IFA rates of pay. They are managed differently - IFA’s pay a single amount to cover all costs (which varies depending on many factors including the age and needs of each child), whereas LA’s pay a lower amount but have a myriad of allowances on top, such as school uniform allowance, Christmas and birthday payments, holiday allowance etc. Independent analysis suggests that overall, the payments are not as different as they appear at first glance.

Having spent most of my career working for LA’s I have always believed it was wrong to ‘privatise’ or farm out statutory services. I do not believe anyone should be able to profit from vulnerable children. Unfortunately that ship sailed so long ago that there is no way to turn back the clock. I will say that the IFA’s I have worked with and had contact with have, overall, provided a good service and excellent foster carers. Many carers have moved to IFA’s not so much for the perceived increase in pay but because they feel they will receive more support. In my experience this is often the case, not because LA’s lack the skills but because they are quite simply overwhelmed.

I can see lots of you have had first-hand experience in fostering/adoption. I've been learning a lot from your comments.

I'm a social worker & sit on a foster panel & fostering was indeed privatised & both private & local authority provision run in parallel. Local authorities needing to place a child will do so depending on things like distance to schools, skill of proposed carers, access to family etc. all things being equal the least expensive is chosen. skilled people set up private agencies years ago & these companies bought up smaller companies & the head offices are often based in tax havens and charge enormous fees much of which does not return to frontline services. These are links to two old, but still valid articles. I'm delighted with this gov't changes which limit the fees private agencies are allowed to charge. I actually like the changes but they're preserving private agencies & I worked in both systems, if you don't get on with one agency you can go to another but in the old local authority only scheme that was your only choice like it or lump it.

www.fairerfostering.org.uk/news--jobs/ftse-member-news-tact-welcomes-bbc-report-on-golden-hellos-for-foster-carers

www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2016/jan/11/why-let-fostering-agencies-profit-caring-children

MaizieD

DaisyAnneReturns

MaizieD

I know a lot of people don't like to follow social media links, but this one is relevant to this topic.

Financial problems with children in care in Hartlepool and apparent government indifference.

bsky.app/profile/barheys.bsky.social/post/3mg33icvzrs2j

An already biased view then.

What on earth do you mean by that comment DAR?

A Labour minister telling a local authority in one of the most deprived areas of the UK that they shouldn't be 'rewarded' for having so many children in care? It isn't the fault of the council that they don't have enough money to provide for them.

Biased?

My comment wasn’t about defending anyone. I was just noting that describing it as “apparent government indifference” is already an interpretation. Opinion pieces - and even summaries - inevitably reflect a viewpoint. That doesn’t mean they’re wrong, just that they’re framed.