How does an independent fostering agency handle complaints?

An independent fostering agency should handle complaints through a documented process that is separate from the day-to-day management of the placement. The process should be accessible to foster carers, children, young people, parents and professionals, and should explain who can complain, how concerns are assessed, how they are investigated and what can happen if the complainant is still unhappy.

In England, an independent fostering agency is regulated and must operate in line with the relevant fostering regulations, national minimum standards and safeguarding duties. Its complaints policy should therefore do more than provide a general customer service route. It should protect children’s welfare, respect the rights of foster carers and families, and provide a reliable way to identify poor practice or wider problems within the agency.

What can be complained about?

A complaint may concern the agency’s conduct, a decision, communication, support, training, payments, record keeping or the way a placement has been managed. It could be raised by a foster carer who feels unsupported, a child who believes their views have been ignored, or a birth family member who is unhappy with how they have been treated.

Not every concern needs to begin as a formal complaint. A minor issue may be resolved by speaking with the supervising social worker or another member of the fostering team. However, the complainant should not be pressured to accept an informal response. They should be able to use the formal procedure if the issue is serious, has not been resolved, or involves the person who would normally deal with it.

How the process usually works

• Making the complaint: The policy should provide more than one suitable route, such as writing, email, telephone or speaking to a trusted professional. A child or young person should not be expected to write a detailed complaint alone. They may need an advocate, social worker, independent visitor or another trusted adult to help express their views.
• Initial assessment: The agency considers what the complaint is about, who is affected and whether any immediate action is needed. It may also decide whether another procedure is more appropriate, such as a safeguarding referral, an allegation process or a statutory complaints procedure involving the placing local authority.
• Investigation: The investigator should gather relevant records, speak to the people involved and give them a fair opportunity to explain their position. The investigator should be sufficiently independent from the events being examined and should not approach the matter with a predetermined conclusion.
• Decision and response: The written response should address the main points raised, explain the evidence considered, state whether each part of the complaint is upheld or not upheld, and identify any action the agency will take. It should use language the recipient can understand.
• Review or escalation: If the complainant believes the process was incomplete or the decision was unreasonable, the policy should explain how to request a review. This may involve a more senior manager or an independent person, depending on the agency’s arrangements. The policy should also identify any relevant external route.

Complaint investigations should be proportionate. A straightforward communication issue may need a short review, whereas a complaint about safeguarding, discrimination, placement decisions or repeated management failures requires more extensive examination. The agency should keep an audit trail showing the complaint, actions taken, evidence considered, decision and any improvement work that follows.

Complaints involving safeguarding

A complaint may reveal an immediate risk to a child or another person. In that situation, protecting the child takes priority over completing the ordinary complaints stages. The agency may need to notify the child’s social worker, the placing local authority, its designated safeguarding lead or another appropriate safeguarding body. The complainant should be told, where possible, how their concern has been acted upon, although confidentiality rules may prevent the agency from sharing every detail.

A complaint is not the same as an allegation that a foster carer has harmed or seriously failed to protect a child. Allegations against foster carers normally require a separate safeguarding and professional strategy process, with the local authority and other agencies involved where appropriate. The agency should explain which process applies rather than treating a safeguarding concern as ordinary dissatisfaction.

Fairness and confidentiality

Everyone involved should be treated fairly, including the person making the complaint and anyone whose conduct is criticised. Foster carers should not be disadvantaged simply because they raise a genuine concern. Equally, an agency must protect children, staff and carers from unfounded accusations and should avoid sharing personal information unnecessarily.

Confidentiality has practical limits. Information may need to be shared to safeguard a child, meet a legal duty or investigate the complaint properly. Data protection rules do not prevent a complaint from being investigated, but they do affect what information can be disclosed in the final response. For example, a complainant may be told that action has been taken without being given another person’s confidential employment or social care information.

What a good complaints policy should tell you

• Who is eligible to complain and whether someone can complain on another person’s behalf.
• How to make a complaint in a format suitable for children, young people and adults with additional communication needs.
• Who receives the complaint and how conflicts of interest are avoided.
• How the agency deals with safeguarding concerns, allegations and urgent risks.
• How the complainant will be kept informed during the process.
• How to request a review if the response does not resolve the concern.
• Which external bodies or local authority procedures may be relevant.
• How lessons from complaints are recorded and used to improve practice.

Before applying, a prospective foster carer can ask to read the agency’s complaints policy and find out who acts as the complaints lead. It is also sensible to ask how children access advocacy, how complaints about a supervising social worker are handled, and whether making a complaint can affect assessment or ongoing support. Clear answers indicate that the agency regards complaints as part of safeguarding and accountability, rather than as a problem to be discouraged.