| There can be nothing more stressful, upsetting and worrying for a foster carer than when told an allegation has been made against them. It can cause distress for the carer, the family and the children and the young people in placement. However, in fostering it is important that all allegations are addressed properly.We understand that even if found false or unsubstantiated, allegations against foster carers can cause disruption, emotional distress, financial instability, and a breakdown of confidence for foster carers in the protection system and towards the organisation they work for.In this article we will look at the ways to reduce the likelihood of them happening and ways to reduce the impact if they do. |
| Example scenario: |
| Sophie has fostered for ten years, she enjoys the work and has built up a network of other carers she gets on with well and with whom she can have informal support. Sophie receives an unexpected visit from her Supervising Social Worker who tells her that an allegation has been made against her by a child who was previously placed with her. Each of the three children who are currently placed with her will be spoken with in school the same day, as will her own ten-year-old child. At this time the SSW is not allowed to tell Sophie the nature of the allegation or the name of the child who has made it. For Sophie if feels like her world has been pulled from under her. She is shocked and has no sense of what the issue is or where it has come from. She feels worried that the children she cares for are being brought into the situation and she is not able to be there to support them. Sophie is offered independent support from a worker she has never met. What are the possible outcomes of an allegation? Substantiated: There is sufficient evidence to show the allegation occurred. Unsubstantiated: There is insufficient evidence to either prove or disprove the allegation. Unfounded/false: There is evidence to disprove the allegation or it is believed intended to cause disruption. |
| Guidance / tips / advice |
| DON’T PANIC! Yes, this is a very difficult and unsettling situation to find yourself in. It’s natural to feel uncertain, especially when you may feel you have little control, limited information, and no clear idea of how long things will take. You may be concerned about how the children will experience being questioned, and worried about the impact on yourself and your family. These feelings are completely understandable, but you are not alone, and there is support available to guide you through each step. Remember! You occupy a very important ‘position of trust’. This has been approved by panel and subsequent Carer Reviews. You should allow yourself some strength and assurance that you have been through a process of assessment and training and you know your role and responsibilities as a foster carer. The situation is unpleasant but you would want it addressed clearly and properly. Mind your head! Resist ‘picking over’ every moment of your previous placements. It is understandable that you might, but small snippets you picked up from the SSW or memories of incidents that come to mind are likely to lead you down the wrong avenue. For now, try to focus on positives and trust the process. Remember why children may make allegations. They may be confused. They may have remembered something that happened in the family home but can’t bring themselves to say this, so locate the memory elsewhere. They may feel it will win favour with family or enable them to return home. They may have been told by family to make the allegation. Something may have happened and you did not realise. Children may make allegations for many different reasons, and these are often not connected to the foster carer. I’m not making excuses here – the agency is not in charge. Just like the foster carer, the agency must act in line with the Local Area Designated Officer (LADO) who leads the investigation. The LADO will be from the Borough you live in even if the children placed or making the allegation are from a different Borough. The Agency must ensure they don’t act, or appear to act, against the interests of an ‘impartial investigation’. They must also accept the pace the LADO chooses. This is very frustrating for Agency Managers and SSW’s, as well as foster carers (but we never voice this out loud). Accept Support We are members of Foster Talk who can offer independent support. We may also ask one of our experienced Independent Social Workers to offer you support. Accept this and do continue to attend local foster carer support groups and training. You will find other carers there who have faced allegations and you will be able to receive peer support. There is nothing more isolating than feeling you are going through something alone but Foster Carer support groups can offer a lot of reassurance and comfort during these times. If substantiated can I still foster? Potentially yes, it would largely depend on the nature of the allegation. It is usual for there to be a Foster Carer Review once the LADO has made a determination and the independent panel will then make their recommendations. There would likely be a clear plan of support and training advised to ensure that any possible concerns do not occur again. Keep the best possible records.You don’t have to be a world class author, just get it down! Write your logs while your memory is fresh and keep your training up-to-date. Ensure to include the difficult moments with a child – when they refused to have their hair done or tidy a mess they made without reasonable reason. Maintaining clear logs will reduce the risk of allegations and support your SSW to support you. You can’t capture every detail but giving a sense of the atmosphere and emotional wellbeing of the child and how this changes, is crucial. Keeping accurate and detailed logs help reduce the risk of allegations and also helps evidence what actually happened, during investigations. Procedures are better than they used to be, and they are continually being reviewed. In the past an individual social worker would talk with the child making an allegation and often make a decision. All done, quickly, quietly and ‘on the spot’. There was often no record, no independent overview and often things were expected to carry on as normal. The current system is much better. An independent investigation, a clear shared written record and a clear outcome. This enables foster carers to have a more transparent process, feel heard and know where they stand. Follow your safer caring policies Every time a child is placed, a new safer caring policy (SCP) will be written in line with your child’s needs and background. It is crucial, to minimise the risk of allegations, to know your SCP really well and work in-line with this. It will be updated every time there is a change in your child’s circumstances or an incident. Therefore, it is also crucial to complete incident reports and keep in fantastic communication with your SSW. These actions will help reduce the likelihood of allegations occurring. |
| Conclusion/Other Thoughts… |
| As a foster carer, there is a significant risk that, within your fostering career, an allegation may be made against you. Take the precautionary actions to minimise the risk, but if it happens – try not to panic, understand and prepare yourself for the process; access the support available to you; and look after yourself. Experiencing an allegation is one of the hardest things a foster carer and their family might face. The impact of allegations is significant – be aware, be prepared, ensure you understand the process by completing the training offered (detailed below), access advice and support, especially support from your peers. And minimise the risk of allegations, by following the tips given above. We must have procedures to manage allegations. The current Government have accepted the existing system needs improvement and have conducted a consultation that ended 17th March. I will be watching with interest as to the changes that will come and am hopeful! |
| Further material to explore |
| PA Group Policy and Procedure: https://handbook.co.uk/docs/allegations-and-complaints-against-foster-carers/ |
| Next PA Group training (by Zoom):21st April : Safeguarding and Safer Care PA Group online training courses:AllegationsFoster Care RecordsSafeguardingAdvances +Safeguarding |
| More in-depth TOTM links: |
| Foster Talk on Managing Allegations: https://fostertalk.org/a-guide-to-allegations/Fostering Regulation or NMS Standard: https://minimumstandards.org/chapter/standard-22-handling-allegations-and-suspicions-of-harm-fostProposed changes to the handling of allegations UK GOV:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fostering-reform-proposed-changes-to-assessment-and-handling-allegations-of-abuse |