What advice is available when a foster child makes an allegation?

Advice after a foster child makes an allegation is usually coordinated by the fostering service alongside the child’s social care team and, where appropriate, the police and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). The purpose is to protect the child, ensure the concern is assessed fairly, and help the foster carer understand the process and their responsibilities while enquiries take place.

Your fostering service’s allegations lead: Every fostering service should have a procedure for managing allegations and a named person or team responsible for overseeing it. They can explain what will happen next, who is involved, what information can be shared, and what steps you must follow. Your supervising social worker may remain a key point of contact, although another manager or allegations officer may lead the case.

The LADO: The LADO provides independent oversight for allegations concerning people who work with or care for children. This can include approved foster carers. Their role is to help determine whether the concern should be addressed through a safeguarding investigation, a police investigation, a social care assessment, disciplinary or fostering procedures, or another route. The LADO does not decide guilt and does not replace the police or children’s social care.

The child’s social worker and safeguarding professionals: The child’s social worker will consider the child’s welfare, immediate safety and wider circumstances. Other professionals may contribute information or assessments. The advice given to you may therefore change as the available information develops. It is important to follow the current instructions from the professionals managing the case rather than relying on assumptions about how similar situations are handled.

Legal and independent advice: A foster carer can ask for independent legal advice, particularly where the allegation could affect their fostering approval, employment, reputation or legal position. A solicitor can explain your rights and help you understand documents or meetings. You may also be able to obtain support from a fostering association, trade union, professional body or independent advocacy service, depending on your circumstances. Check with your fostering service before sharing confidential case information with anyone who is not involved.

Advice should normally cover the following practical areas:

• Contact arrangements: whether you should continue caring for the child, whether contact between particular household members needs to change, and whether any temporary alternative arrangements are required.
• Meetings and interviews: who will attend, the purpose of each meeting, whether you may have a supporter or representative with you, and how your response will be recorded.
• Information sharing: what you can say to household members, the child, schools, relatives and other people involved in the placement. Allegations should not be discussed widely or shared on social media.
• Records: how to preserve relevant records, such as daily notes, messages, incident records and dates of significant events. Records should remain factual and should not be altered retrospectively.
• Placement and approval decisions: whether the allegation affects the current placement, future matching decisions or your approval as a foster carer, and who is responsible for each decision.
• Communication: how you will receive updates and whom to contact if you are unsure about an instruction or become aware of a further concern.

An allegation does not by itself establish that a foster carer has done something wrong. Equally, it must be taken seriously and assessed through the correct safeguarding process. Foster carers should be given a proper opportunity to provide relevant information and respond to the concerns, while recognising that confidentiality may limit the detail that professionals can disclose about the child or other people.

During enquiries, avoid discussing the substance of the allegation with the child, attempting to obtain further explanations, or asking questions that could influence what they say. Do not contact witnesses or try to gather evidence independently unless the professionals managing the case specifically ask you to do so. If you are unsure whether an action is appropriate, ask the fostering service for clear instructions before taking it.

The process may conclude with no further action, a decision that additional support or safeguarding work is needed, recommendations about safer caring, a formal review of fostering approval, or criminal or other proceedings. You should be told, as far as confidentiality and legal restrictions allow, what the outcome means for you and whether any further action is required. Ask for important decisions and agreed actions to be confirmed in writing, and keep your own factual record of meetings, advice received and documents supplied.

It is also reasonable to ask what support is available for you and other members of your household. This might include supervision, debriefing, access to counselling or guidance on helping children affected by the situation. Support does not replace the formal investigation, but it can help you follow the required process, manage the practical impact on family life and continue to care safely where that remains appropriate.