Archived decisions

REPORT OF THE

EXECUTIVE MEMBER SOCIAL CARE

PART II

EXTENSION OF "PAYMENT FOR SKILLS" SCHEME AND INCREASE OF ALLOWANCES FOR FAMILY LINK CARERS

1. The Executive Member was pleased to give approval to extend the current "Payment for Skills" to include Family Link Foster Carers , and to introduce a higher rate of allowances for children who use the Family Link Scheme , both with effect from 1 October 2003.

2. The payment for skills scheme was introduced to recognise the additional skills which experienced foster carers bring to the fostering task. To date, the scheme has been open to all foster carers who offer full time care to children. Following the decision to extend the scheme, foster carers who care for children for a part of the week, are also able to join the scheme.

3. Family link care is a key element of a strategy to support children with disabilities. Families who offer this service in their own homes often have a background of working with children with specialist play or respite schemes. Until now, there has been no financial recognition of those skills. The extension of the scheme would be a public recognition of those skills, which enable many children with complex disabilities to be supported within their own families through the provision of family based respite care.

4. In addition to extending the payments for skills scheme, allowances have also been increased to cover the cost of caring for children who participate in the family link scheme. During the period when a child stays with their link family, they are given the opportunity to mix with new friends and to participate in social and leisure activities which might offer them new experiences. Some visits may last only a few hours or part of a day, while others may last for a weekend or part of a week.. The new allowances are designed to be flexible as well as more generous.

5. Promoting and strengthening the Family link scheme through increased allowances and fees will be one way of encouraging new families who may have the skills, experience and time to offer to a child for a few days each month, to join the scheme. There are children of all ages who would benefit from a link family and increasing the pool of families with whom links can be made would greatly enhance the service.

6. All fees and allowances will continue to be reviewed annually, to include family link as well as full time foster care.

7. The new rates are :

0 - 4 hours £12 - an increase of £3.80 on 4 hours

4 - 8 hours £22 - an increase of £5.60 on 8 hours

8 - 12 hours £30 - an increase of £5.40 on 12 hours