Future of foster care: consultation - easy read

Tell us what you think about foster care - Part 3

• Financial support
• Valuing foster carers
• A national register for foster carers
• Allegations
• Reporting worries

About this document

This is Part 3 of the consultation about foster care.

Financial support

In this document, financial support means the different payments that foster carers get.

They include:

• Scottish Recommended Allowance (SRA)

All foster carers get money every week, called the SRA, to pay for things a looked after child needs.

The SRA was started in August 2023 so that all foster carers in Scotland get the same amount of money.

• Fees

In this document, fees mean money that is paid regularly to foster carers.

Fees are paid separately to the SRA.

Fees can be different amounts of money for each foster carer.

This is because different foster carers have different kinds of skills and care.

Depending on where foster carers live in Scotland, they get paid different fees.

• Additional payments

In this document, an additional payment means 1 payment of extra money given to foster carers for a special reason.

Depending on where foster carers live in Scotland, they get paid different additional payments.

There are lots of reasons why a foster carer might get an additional payment.

For example, an additional payment could be for a child’s birthday or a religious festival.

• Retainer fees

A retainer fee is money paid to foster carers when they do not have any children placed with them.

Some, but not all, fostering services pay a retainer fee.

Depending on where foster carers live in Scotland, they get paid different retainer fees.

• Continuing Care allowances

A continuing care allowance is paid to a foster carer when a young person stays with them after their 18th birthday.

Not all fostering services pay continuing care allowances.

Depending on where foster carers live in Scotland, they get paid different continuing care allowances.

Questions

Do you think the things in the list above are good ways of paying foster carers?

Is there another way to pay foster carers?

Write or type your answer here:

Do you think fees should be the same in all parts of Scotland?

Write or type your answer here:

Do you think additional payments should be the same in all parts of Scotland?

Write or type your answer here:

Should foster carers get a retainer fee for the time when they do not have a child placed with them?

Write or type your answer here:

Do you think Continuing Care allowances should be the same in all parts of Scotland?

Write or type your answer here:

Valuing foster carers

We know that we need to do more to make foster carers feel valued and respected.

Valued and respected mean people noticing that foster carers do a good and important job.

We think it is a good idea to have a Scottish charter of support for foster carers and fostering services.

A charter is an agreement to all stick to the same plan.

The charter would:

• be designed together with foster carers and fostering services

• make sure that foster carers feel noticed for how they help children and young people

• say what foster carers can expect from the fostering service

• say what the fostering service can expect from foster carers

Foster carers should be able to decide things about caring for the child or young person as much as possible.

Questions

What do you think about having a Scottish charter of support for foster carers?

Write or type your answer here:

Should the charter have a guide to help foster carers decide things?

If yes, please explain what you would like it to include.

Write or type your answer here:

A national register for foster carers in Scotland

A register means a list of names and other details.

A register for Scotland could:

• make sure foster carers are regulated.

Regulated means having rules to follow.

• make it easier for a foster service to check if a foster carer:
  • has been approved
  • has had their approval taken away before

• have facts that would show where more foster carers are needed

• make sure foster carers are matched with children and young people in the same way in all parts of Scotland

It could also help local councils to place children in their local community.

This would be cheaper than IFAs or external placements.

Questions

What do you think about having a national register for foster carers in Scotland?

Write or type your answer here:

If we make a register, where should it be kept?

Write or type your answer here:

What do you think about including foster carers’ learning on the register?

Write or type your answer here:

We could have a plan to make sure matching foster carers with children and young people is done in the same way in all parts of Scotland.

What do you think about this?

Write or type your answer here:

How can the Scottish Government help councils understand where and when they need more foster carers?

Write or type your answer here:

Dealing with allegations against foster carers

An allegation is when somebody says that something has been done wrong.

Sometimes people make allegations about foster carers, to say they have done something wrong.

Foster carers look after some children who had bad or frightening things in their lives.

These children are placed away from their birth family.

Caring for these children can be hard for foster carers.

In 2013, a guide for local councils and independent fostering agencies was written.

The guide says what to do when there is an allegation about a foster carer.

Questions

Should the Scottish Government change its guide about allegations?

If yes, please tell us what you would like to see changed or added.

Write or type your answer here:

What more can the Scottish Government do to make sure that allegations are dealt with quickly and fairly?

Write or type your answer here:

Reporting worries

Foster carers can say when they have worries about:

• bad, wrong and unsafe things happening in fostering
• child protection
• fostering services

Foster carers who report worries are supported by:

• fostering services local councils

Questions

Should the Scottish Government do more work on what happens when people report worries?

If you say the answer is yes, please explain why.

If you can, please say what would be helpful, for example a guide on what to do.

Write or type your answer here:

Final question

Is there anything that:

• is to do with fostering but is not covered in this consultation?
• you would like to tell us about fostering?
• you would like us to work on, to do with fostering?

Write or type your answer here:

Thank you for answering all our questions.

Your answers are very important.

Please now send us your answers by choosing 1 of the ways explained in Part 1.