Sheffield Council told to compensate foster carer for “distress, frustration and uncertainty”
Sheffield City Council has been told to apologise and pay £400 to a city foster carer to compensate for the “distress, frustration and uncertainty” caused by unclear decisions.
The complaint to the local government ombudsman originates from a staying put arrangement for a young woman in foster care. Staying put arrangements allow a young person to stay with their foster carers after they reach their 18th birthday, when care ends.
The ombudsman’s report said that councils have a duty to monitor the arrangements and to provide assistance and support, including financial support. These duties continue until the young person is 21.
The council’s policy states that carers must be given clear information about how they can expect to be supported under a staying put arrangement.
An initial meeting should take place three months before a young person’s 16th birthday. It should explore the impact on a foster carers’ financial circumstances if the placement continues after 18.
For a young person going away to university, the staying put arrangement allows them to come home for the holidays and for the foster carer to receive an allowance for this.
Distress
The policy says optional funding could be put in place if the young person wants to stay i education after the age of 21.
The foster carer, referred to as Ms X, complained that the council failed to adhere to a staying put arrangement, making changes without notice and failed to make agreed payments.
She also complained that the council failed to properly consider her complaint. The ombudsman’s report said: “Ms X says this has caused her financial distress as she has missed out on payments. She also said this caused her and the young person distress.
“She says she will never foster again because of this situation.”
The report says: “The council met with Ms X and Ms Y [the young person] in 2019, when Ms Y was 17, to explain the staying put arrangement.
Anxiety
“During this meeting, the council explained that if Ms Y went on to study at university after finishing school, it would hold a panel meeting to decide if it could continue to fund a staying put agreement.
“Ms Y said she intended to study at university for more than three years. The council noted that if this were the case, it would need to hold a panel meeting to agree funding beyond age 21.
“The council also recorded that Ms X and Ms Y understood these plans and the need for flexibility depending on Ms Y’s plans.
“Council records from February 2020 noted that the council would need to meet with Ms X to discuss the financial aspect of the staying put arrangement so that she understood this.”
The ombudsman said there was no evidence these meetings took place, which caused Ms X anxiety around the financial aspect of the staying put arrangement.
Fault
The report added: “The council has already accepted fault for stopping payments to Ms X in December 2023 without explaining the reasons for this.
“This caused Ms X distress and uncertainty. I welcome that the council did go on to make full payments to Ms X until April 2024, but note there was a delay in doing so, one which caused Ms X frustration in continually chasing these.”
The ombudsman ruled that the council needed to make a “symbolic payment for the distress and uncertainty it caused”. It has also reviewed its policy and improved complaints procedures.