How are complaints handled under different fostering approaches?

The handling of a fostering complaint depends mainly on who holds responsibility for the child’s placement and which organisation’s procedure applies. The route may therefore differ between voluntary foster care, independent fostering and whole family fostering, although each provider should offer a clear way to raise concerns, keep appropriate records and explain how a decision can be challenged.

Voluntary foster care

In voluntary foster care, the local authority is usually responsible for the placement and for investigating complaints about its fostering service. A complaint may be raised by a child in care, their parent or another relative, a foster carer, or another person affected by the service.

The local authority will normally try to resolve the issue through its initial complaints stage. This could involve speaking with the relevant social worker or manager, reviewing records, clarifying decisions and identifying practical steps to put matters right. If the complainant remains dissatisfied, the local authority’s procedure should explain how to request a more formal investigation or review.

Some complaints about children’s social care follow a statutory representations process. This can involve an independent investigator and, where the matter is not resolved, a review by a panel. The exact route depends on the nature of the complaint and the person making it, so the local authority’s complaints team should confirm which process applies.

Independent fostering

With an independent fostering agency, the first complaint is generally made to the agency rather than directly to the local authority. The agency should identify who will acknowledge and investigate the concern, whether the investigator is independent of the events being considered, and how the outcome will be communicated.

An agency procedure may include an informal resolution stage followed by a formal investigation and an internal appeal or review. A complainant should receive the agency’s findings, the reasons for its decision and any actions it intends to take. If the complaint concerns a child placed by a local authority, it may also be appropriate to notify that authority, particularly where the concern affects the child’s welfare, care plan or contact arrangements.

Ofsted regulates and inspects fostering services, but it does not usually act as an appeal body for an individual complaint or replace the provider’s own investigation. Ofsted may still need to be informed about serious concerns relating to the safety or regulatory compliance of a fostering service. The agency’s complaints information should explain how and when this may be appropriate.

Whole family fostering

For whole family fostering, the correct complaints route depends on the organisation legally responsible for the arrangement. If the service is delivered by a local authority, the local authority’s children’s social care complaints process will generally apply. If it is delivered by an independent fostering agency, the agency’s procedure will normally be the starting point.

These arrangements can involve several professionals and may affect more than one member of a household. A complaint should therefore state which decision, action or communication is being challenged and identify everyone affected. The provider should explain whether it will coordinate the investigation itself or whether another organisation, such as the placing authority, must consider part of the complaint separately.

Where a concern involves the treatment of a child, the quality of support to the household, information sharing or the conduct of a professional, the organisation should clarify which parts can be investigated together and which require separate procedures. This avoids a complaint being passed between agencies without a clear owner.

Complaints about a foster carer are different from complaints by a foster carer

A complaint about a carer’s conduct, care of a child or compliance with fostering expectations may trigger a management investigation, a safeguarding referral or an allegation process. It should not automatically be treated as an ordinary customer-service complaint. The provider may need to take immediate protective steps while information is gathered, while also giving the carer information about the process and access to appropriate support.

Similarly, a foster carer who disagrees with a decision about their approval, terms of approval, supervision or a placement may need to use a review, representations or fostering-panel route rather than the general complaints procedure. The relevant social worker, supervising social worker or complaints manager should explain which route applies and whether the decision can be reconsidered.

What a good investigation should cover

• What happened, when it happened and who was involved.
• Which policy, decision or communication is being questioned.
• What records, notes, emails or other evidence have been considered.
• Whether the child’s wishes, feelings, welfare and privacy have been taken into account.
• Whether the complaint is upheld, partly upheld or not upheld, with reasons.
• What action will be taken, who is responsible and how the outcome will be monitored.

Confidentiality is important, but it does not mean that every document can be disclosed. Personal information about a child, birth family, foster carer or employee may need to be redacted or withheld. The organisation should still provide enough explanation for the complainant to understand the conclusion and any remedy available.

If the concern is urgent or remains unresolved

A concern about immediate risk, abuse, neglect or a child’s safety should be reported through the safeguarding route without waiting for the ordinary complaints process. The child’s social worker, the placing authority or the relevant safeguarding service should be contacted according to the circumstances. A complaints investigation must not delay protective action.

If the final response does not resolve the matter, the provider should explain its next stage. Depending on the approach and the issue, this may be an internal review, a statutory review process, a fostering-panel representation, referral to the placing authority, or a regulatory concern being raised with Ofsted. An independent advocate, solicitor or other suitably informed supporter can help a child, family member or foster carer understand the procedure and present their views.

Before making a complaint, it is useful to ask for the current written procedure, identify the organisation responsible for the specific decision and keep a dated record of correspondence. The key difference between approaches is therefore not the right to raise a concern, but which organisation must investigate it, which review arrangements are available and whether the issue is a complaint, a safeguarding matter or a challenge to a fostering decision.