How can foster carers raise concerns about the support they receive?

A concern about foster carer support should be recorded, considered by the fostering service and followed through to a clear response. Support may include supervision, training, practical advice, help with a child’s behaviour, access to specialist services, financial guidance or assistance during a difficult placement. If any of these are unavailable, unsuitable or inconsistent, the carer is entitled to ask for the issue to be reviewed.

What can a foster carer raise?

Concerns can relate to the quality, frequency or suitability of support, rather than only to a complete absence of help. Examples include:

• not receiving agreed supervision, visits, training or information;
• being unable to obtain appropriate advice about a child’s needs or behaviour;
• feeling that requests for respite, therapeutic input or practical assistance have not been properly considered;
• not understanding decisions made about a placement or the expectations placed on the household;
• being given conflicting advice by different professionals;
• believing that concerns about a child’s welfare, a placement or the carer’s wellbeing have not been taken seriously; or
• experiencing unfair treatment, discrimination, poor communication or a lack of reasonable consideration for the carer’s circumstances.

Prepare the concern clearly

Before raising the matter, it can help to write down what happened, when it happened, who was involved and what support was expected. Include relevant emails, records of supervision, agreed actions and details of how the issue is affecting the carer, the household or the child’s placement. The aim is not to create a case against an individual. Clear information helps the fostering service understand the practical impact and identify what needs to change.

It is useful to state the outcome being requested. This might be a review of the support plan, a further meeting, clarification of responsibilities, additional training, a referral to a specialist service or a written explanation of a decision. A carer does not need to know the final solution before making a concern.

Use the service’s complaints process when informal action is not enough

Every fostering service should have a complaints policy explaining how concerns are logged, who investigates them and how to request a review. The policy should also set out how the service deals with confidentiality, records and complaints involving a member of staff. Ask for a copy if it has not been provided, and check whether the matter should be handled under the complaints procedure, a safeguarding process, or another specialist policy.

A formal complaint should normally describe the concern, the steps already taken and the resolution sought. Keep a copy of the complaint and any response. If the reply does not address the main issues, explain which points remain unresolved and use the next stage of the procedure. A complaint should be assessed on the facts and its effect on support, not dismissed simply because the carer has questioned professional decisions.

Escalate if the response is inadequate

If the fostering service does not resolve the issue, the carer can ask for the matter to be considered by a more senior manager or through the final stage of its complaints procedure. The correct external route depends on how the fostering service is arranged. A local authority service may have a corporate complaints team or designated complaints process. An independent fostering provider will have its own escalation arrangements, which should be set out in its policy.

Independent advice can help a carer understand the options, particularly where the concern involves a breakdown in working relationships, a proposed change to a placement or possible consequences for the carer’s approval. Advice may be available from a recognised fostering support organisation, a carer advocacy service, a trade union where relevant or a solicitor with experience in fostering and social care. External regulators may be able to consider information about wider service practice, but they do not usually replace the fostering service’s own complaints process or decide every individual dispute.

Separate support concerns from safeguarding or allegation processes

Some matters need immediate action rather than an ordinary complaint. If a child may be at risk, report the safeguarding concern through the designated route given by the fostering service and the child’s placing authority. If an allegation has been made against a foster carer, the carer should ask for the relevant procedures, sources of support and points of contact to be explained. A complaint about poor support can continue to be raised, but it should not interfere with enquiries into a child protection concern.

Similarly, a disagreement about a decision is not necessarily evidence of poor support. However, the service should explain the decision, identify the information relied upon and make clear how the carer can challenge it. Keeping these issues separate can prevent an important support complaint from becoming confused with a placement review or safeguarding investigation.

What should happen after a concern is raised?

The carer should receive acknowledgement, an explanation of how the matter will be examined and information about the next stage if they remain dissatisfied. The response should address the specific points raised, distinguish fact from opinion and identify any actions, responsible person and review arrangements. Where the service cannot provide the requested support, it should explain the reason and discuss realistic alternatives.

Confidentiality has limits. Information may need to be shared with professionals when this is necessary to protect a child or manage a placement. Even so, the carer should be told as much as possible about how their information is being used. A carer should not be disadvantaged for raising a genuine concern, although all parties are expected to communicate respectfully and follow the relevant procedures.

Where support remains unsuitable after escalation, the carer can ask for a review of the working arrangements and whether the placement continues to be safe and sustainable. Raising concerns early is particularly important when missing support is affecting the carer’s ability to meet the child’s needs or is placing unreasonable pressure on the household.