Issue - decisions

Date of Decision:

26 March 2024

Title:

Increase in Government National Minimum fostering allowance rate 2024-25

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Nicola Curley – Strategic Director, Children & Young Peoples Service

Details of Specific Cabinet Delegation

or Delegation contained in the relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.

Minute 61 – Cabinet Monday 17 Oct 2022

Resolved: That approval be given to make the following changes to improve the financial offer for Foster Carers to support retention and recruitment of Foster Carers:

2d) Uplift of the skills payments aligned to the annual inflationary uplift in the national fostering maintenance allowance

SECTION 4C4: STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICES – DELEGATED EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS

The Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services is authorised to discharge executive functions for:-

4. Social Care  (c) Looked After Children and Children in Care

Decision:

1.   That the fostering maintenance allowances are increased on average by 6.88% in line with the NMA rates per age band for 2024/25.

2. That Foster Carer Skills payments are increased in line with the NMA uplift of 6.88% in-line with the Cabinet’s approval in October 2022.

Reasons for the Decision:

The Government sets a National Minimum Allowance (NMA) for weekly child maintenance fostering rates based on age bands, which are increased annually in line with inflation. The 2024/25 national increase has been set at 6.88% (the increase in 2023/24 was 12.43%).

This report considers the financial impact and options of increasing Fostering, Special Guardianship Orders (SGO), Child Arrangement Orders (CAO), Adoption Allowance (AA), respite, day care, and Fostering Skills payments in line with the government’s recommended minimum uplift of 6.88%.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Option 2 – not recommended

·     do not apply an uplift to fostering allowances – with the increased risk of legal challenge.

·     do not apply the 6.88% NMA uplift to the fostering skills payment – however this would go against the improved foster carer financial offer approved by Cabinet (In October 2022).

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

Reports or parts of reports considered

DLT Report - Increase in Government National Minimum fostering allowance rate 2024-25 (26 March 2024)

Report Author: Joshua Amahwe – Head of Finance - CYPS