Family Fostering

joolesw1972

Hi I don't know if this is the right place or if anyone can help, but I'm not really sure where to go with this.
We have a nephew on my partners side, he is 13, has had a difficult life and has been in trouble on and off for the last 2/3 years, a few incidents involving police but mostly school etc.
His Mum doesn't live with them, his step-dad was looking after them but he started running away, they were allocated a family support worker by social services who has only visited a couple of times, it is a vey long story but am trying to keep it short, he got in some more trouble at school last week which lead to a further deterioration in the relationship between him and step dad and him running away last Friday, the police picked him up, returned him home and step dad refused to have him back, they contacted Mum who also said she couldn't/wouldn't have him, so he ended up staying with his girlfriends family as social services didn't have anyone available, the police said that he would probably sit in the cells for 7-8 hours until someone could come! So his gf family took him in, we found out about it on Sunday & spent all Monday morning trying to talk to social services & not getting anywhere, & eventually decided to drive up - they live 2 hrs away. Neither Mum or step dad would take him back & the only alternative was him going in to care, so we agreed to take him, they were a little concerned that we both work full time etc, but were happy for us to take him, but the social worker had to get agreement from Mum etc and kept staying that it was a private foster arrangement, she repeated this several times but to be hoonest we didn't really know what it meant and our main concern was getting our nephew home & safe.
However since returning last night, we've started doing some research & it appears that if it is a "private arrangement" there is no financial support or other input, where as if he were to be placed with us, there would be (we see now why she kept saying it) so what do we do now? We will care for him - allowance or no allowance, but we feel railroaded into something that wasn't explained and felt that if there was some financial assistance either my partner could take a career break or we could both look at reducing our hours to give him the support that he needs, he is a damaged little boy & we want to do our best for him.
Are there any support websites/groups/helplines?
Any support or advice would be appreciated
Thank you x

Alikay

I think it varies a little between different local authorities, but in our area there is generally no SS financial support for neices/nephews/grandchildren. You should be able to claim child benefit, and any other tax credits etc that you'd be entitled to as a result of being assessed with your nephew as part of your household. There may be some initial clothing allowance available, dependant on your nephew's needs which should cover the new uniform he'd need for transferring to a school near you.

I'm pretty certain you'd get nothing to allow you to cut your working hours: I'm a regular LA foster carer, and supposedly we are able to both foster and work. They would argue that you'd be cutting your hours out of choice, not because your nephew's needs dictated it.

Molly41

Read Mooloo's threads as she had many dealings with SS regarding her Grand Daughter and claiming fostering allowance. I do know that you are entitled to the Child Benefit and may be eligible for child tax credits depending on your finances. The step father needs to stop claiming them in order for you too.

Mooloo will answer your questions but she is away atm but will gladly help on her return.

joolesw1972

I doubt we would be able to get tax credit as I have a good income - but will look in to it, I am just worried that with both of us working full time we won't be able to be arround as much as he needs right now, I would have no worries leaving my neice of the same age home on her own for a few hours, but at the moment we don't think we can, he has never been responsible for getting himself to or home from school or being home on his own (none of that family work).
Thanks Molly41, I will check out Mooloo's posts.

geoffky

Well done you and your hubby...if only other people cared as much..

Triker

If your nephew is not part of any Child Protection Proceedings or Care Orders then getting some funding re his care will be difficult depending on your local authority.

Unfortunately there isn't much of any 'money' around to access in these circumstances.

However as he has a Mother I would be asking her to contribute financially to his upbringing in some way as you have been decent enough to take him in.

RAS

Get step-dad to halt his claim for Child Benefit.

Make a CSa claim against mum, although that might only produce £5 per week.

jackyann

Contact Social Services - speak either to the socail worker with whom you dealt, or ask for "the duty social worker for children & young people". Ask for their support.
Speak to the school. There will be somebody whose job is to liaise with Social Services, deal with vulnerable children etc. Speak to them - they need to know what is going on anyway.
Speak to the police as well and ask for a contact.


Tell everyone that you need to have someone to talk to for emotional support.

Say that you want a referral for your nephew under the Common Assessment Framework: http://education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/strategy/integratedworking/caf
this is designed to get help from a variety of statutory & voluntary agencies locally. You can make a referral yourself using the forms on the website, and it is well worth doing.

Tell your nephew what you have written here, that you will care for him anyway, so he knows that. Then fight tooth & nail to get a proper fostering allowance. In your part of the CAF forms state what you have said about needing time to give him attention (indeed he probably needs treating like a much younger child in many respects). You are not only doing the morally right thing, you are saving the tax payer a fortune, now & in the future.

I am not disagreeing with the more pessimistic predictions here, but I have known, in very difficult cases, the LA will sometimes pay out, if it avoids an expensive specialist foster placement: don't be afraid of giving that impression to them.

I wish you and your family the very best

Gottodothis

If it is a private arrangement then there will be no funding available. You will need to claim child benefit and contact csa.

If he was placed with you by the local authority you could get a kinship allowance or connected persons as it is now called.

squirrelchops

jackyann wrote: »

Contact Social Services - speak either to the socail worker with whom you dealt, or ask for "the duty social worker for children & young people". Ask for their support.


Say that you want a referral for your nephew under the Common Assessment Framework: http://education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/strategy/integratedworking/caf
this is designed to get help from a variety of statutory & voluntary agencies locally. You can make a referral yourself using the forms on the website, and it is well worth doing.

Sorry to stick my oar in but this is not correct information. As children's services are involved this is above the threshold for a CAF. CAF's are designed to be at tier 2 level ie pre social care intervention.

You are absolutely correct OP in that it is going to come down to what EXACTLY was agreed at the time your nephew came to live with you. If you were asked by children's services to have him, they have placed him with you and therefore theoretically he is a looked after child (accommodated voluntarily under section 20 of the children act 1989 - ie whoever has parental responsibility agrees with this). However if you offered or you have had a conversation with his parents and between you agreed that he could stay with you this is a private family arrangement.

It would also not be private fostering as you are too closely related.

If you want to know more about other arrangements such as residence orders or special guardianship please let me know - may be a little too early in the day for this but could help your query regarding support and financial help.

I hope my reply is clear for you.

NB: just noted that if you had not taken your nephew in you were told he would have been put into care. I would therefore say you need to be talking to his social worker that they placed him with you - therefore as others have said you should be entitled to a family and friends assessment (or called similarly). The local authority should have a policy on this - this is not, in my opinion a family arrangement - if you had not had your nephew he would be a looked after child. Every authority wants to avoid that not only as it is detrimental to young people and they should remain with family but it is also costly and effects their statistics!

https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/Family%20and%20Friends%20Care.pdf

The above guidance is rather 'full on' but this is from BAAF who inform local authorities regarding fostering and adoption. The above document is statutory guidance and should help inform you of your situation.

Dunroamin

Although you may well be doing the right thing, I'd concentrate on getting as much support as possible. I'm not sure you appreciate just how much you're taking on but I wish you luck.