Foster carers and social workers working with vulnerable children will be doing so with the best interests of the child as their focus, and within statutory legislation and range of local policies and procedures. Occasionally, foster carers may feel dissatisfied with a service that they, or the child in their care, receives and want to raise this. Clear, open communication is often key, and many issues can be resolved at an early informal stage if the fostering service and/or local authority is made aware of any issues.
If the complaint is in relation to a safeguarding matter this will be dealt with separately within child protection procedures.
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Complaints to fostering services
However, the foster carer can choose to make a formal complaint if they feel they have been treated unfairly and/or not in accordance with policy and procedures by their fostering service or the local authority. If the complaint is on behalf of the child, this is usually done by the child receiving independent advocacy.
To whom the complaint is made depends on the nature of the complaint. Most foster carer complaints are likely to be made to their own fostering service, but if they concern a local authority provided service or a decision made by them the complaint would be to the local authority or, for example, a school. The foster carer is advised to seek a copy of the complaints procedure with the relevant organization for details of who to contact and to understand how the complaint will be managed and any timescales. If the complaint is to an organization other than their fostering service, they are advised to share their concern with their fostering service who may take up the complaint on their behalf or offer support with the complaints process.
Tips when making a complaint
- Keep the tone professional
- Make sure concerns are clearly and concisely stated; use bullet points if you can.
- Focus on the impact of the action/decision or failure to act for the child and the foster carer/others as appropriate.
- Refer to any relevant policy/procedure or current legislation that provides context for the complaint.
- Refer to (and provide copies if relevant) of any written or other evidence that supports the complaint, such as supervision notes, letters, text messages, Care Review minutes, etc.
- If the situation is complex you may wish to add a simple timeline to show the order of events.
- State what outcome you are wanting to achieve and be pragmatic. Examples might include an apology, a change in policy/ approach, or compensation for out of pocket expenses resulting from the decision/action (you will need to evidence the financial impact via receipts/bank statements etc).
- Make a note of the submission date and when you should have a response based upon the complaints policy. Note any subsequent communications about the complaint.
If the foster carer is unhappy with the outcome of the complaint, they often have the option to move onto the next stage. Complaints procedures typically have 3 or more stages. Refer to the complaints policy and procedure for specific details, and ensure you respond within any timeframes.
If the foster carer has exhausted the complaints procedure and remains dissatisfied, it may be possible to have a complaint about a council service investigated by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman. There is more information on what they can and cannot look at their website here.
Foster carers who have complained to their independent fostering service but remain dissatisfied with the outcome of a complaint are unable to use the Ombudsman (as this is for council services), but may choose to contact Ofsted. However, Ofsted do not investigate individual complaints. They will consider the information when they inspect or regulate the service or refer them to an appropriate service. See further details here.
Foster carers can also raise matters with their local counsellor who may advocate on their behalf. Find your local counsellor here.
Foster carers may also benefit from legal advice that may be freely available to them as part of any membership service in place or via a specialist organization, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau or Family Rights Group.
