Facing an allegation of abuse or neglect is something that some foster carers will, unfortunately, experience during their fostering career. This is inevitably a distressing time for everyone involved - the child or young person, the foster carer and their family - but it is important that allegations are investigated fully to make sure that children are safe from any current or potential harm.
We have resources, helplines, advice and mediation services and training to help foster carers and their families if an allegation is made.
As the UK’s leading fostering charity, we offer practice support to member fostering services across the UK. Find out how we can support you.
Our guide to allegations, concerns and complaints
We have produced a comprehensive guide designed to help foster carers understand what is likely to happen if an allegation is made against them or a member of their family. It costs £3 for members and £6 for non-members.
Independent support
Independent support can be vital for foster carers when they are facing allegations or other disputes. The Fostering Network can provide independent support to foster carers via their fostering service through a variety of offers across the UK:
- Advice and mediation service in England - find out more here.
- Independent support in England and Wales – [Link to Independent support page] find out more here.
- Fosterline Scotland offers ongoing support with various concerns and ongoing investigations. Additional support, such as written responses, attending panels, or mediation between foster carer and fostering service can be negotiated. Independent support can also be commissioned through our spot purchase service.
- Fosterline Northern Ireland offers ongoing support over the phone for the duration of an investigation. We can also assist foster carers with written responses to fostering panel reports and can attend fostering panels with them.
Timescales
Fostering services are encouraged by national policies (for example, the National Minimum Standards in England, the Local Authority Fostering Services Regulations in Wales and the Scottish Government’s guidance on managing allegations against foster carers) to address allegations fairly, quickly and consistently in a way that provides effective protection for children and young people. However, there are no prescribed timescales for the resolution of an allegation investigation. Foster carers need to be prepared for things to move much more slowly than they would like.