Plans to introduce an annual council tax relief scheme for fully approved Devon Foster Carers will go before Devon County Council’s new ruling Cabinet later this week (Friday 23 May).
Foster carers were consulted about these proposals earlier this year and the scheme was amended in the light of their comments.
In line with some other south west authorities it’s proposed that foster carers would be entitled to claim a payment based on the number of weeks that they provide care to a Devon County Council looked after child.
Payment would be the equivalent of 50% of the Devon County Council element of council tax if foster carers provide more than 26 weeks of care, or 25% for 13-26 weeks of care.
The proposal is among a number of recommendations going before councillors to improve support for foster carers in Devon, who provide safe, stable and nurturing homes for children and young people in care.
Other proposals include:
- Increasing the weekly basic fostering allowance paid to Devon foster carers looking after children aged 16+ by £8.96 per week to match the £258 per week National Minimum Allowance (NMA) which is recommended by Government. This increase would also apply to the allowances paid to carers for children placed under Special Guardianship, Child Arrangement Orders and Adoption Placements. All other age groups will continue to be paid the existing rate of £237.44, which is above the NMA.
- In future, all fostering allowances are proposed to increase in line with the NMA and/or inflation without the need for Cabinet approval, unless there is a significant financial impact on the Council that could not be met from existing budgets.
- Creation of an £80,000 budget by Fostering Devon to purchase essential equipment such as beds, mattresses, prams, buggies and car seats, rather than foster carers using their allowances to pay for these items.
- Creation of a “retention budget” of £36,000 to deliver additional support to foster carers, including peer mentoring, regular support and wellbeing groups across the county, as well as a range of regular activities for foster carers and children in care together. As part of this budget, a £5,000 annual contribution would be made to the Devon Foster Care Association (DFCA), which is highly valued by foster carers.
- Plans for Fostering Devon to establish two dedicated Fostering Independent Reviewing Officer (FIRO) roles to provide impartial oversight during annual reviews of approved foster carers. These positions would be distinct from the standard Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) roles that focus on the care plans of looked-after children.
Nationally, there are not enough foster carers for the number of children in care that need a foster home. To attract and retain Devon County Council foster carers, support for foster carers is being reviewed to ensure it is comparable to neighbouring Local Authorities and Independent Fostering Agencies. A consultation on further proposals is due to be carried out this summer.
Devon County Council is part of Fostering South West a regional hub of 15 local authorities working together to recruit and retain local authority foster carers committed to keeping our children local, enabling them to maintain a sense of familiarity, stability and belonging.