Facing an allegation

All children and young people need a safe, stable, and supportive environment to thrive. Every child should have the opportunity to share their worries and concerns with a trusted adult, and know that they will be listened to, and their concerns taken seriously.

Any child may experience an event which they find concerning or distressing. Sometimes, this may relate to something which they say has happened with a foster carer, or a member of the fostering family or support network. All fostering services should have a process in place to address concerns raised by a child, or an adult reporting on their behalf.

When the concern relates to a serious incident, such as reported physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, this is called an ‘allegation’. When an allegation is made which alleges such behaviour by a foster carer or their family, the local authority and the fostering service have a legal duty under the Children Act 1989 to carry out an investigation.

“Child protection is the set of multi-agency activities and processes that follow a concern that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Under section 47 of the Children Act 1989, the local authority has a duty to make enquiries when this is the case and to take decisive action when needed to protect a child from abuse, neglect, and exploitation." (Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2023)

54%

of all allegations in 2020-21 against foster carers resulted in an outcome of ‘no further action’

Ofsted

In 2020/2021, 54% of all allegations against foster carers resulted in an outcome of ‘no further action’. 15% were subject to continued monitoring, and 31% were referred to the fostering panel to review their approval. Half of all allegations were resolved in less than 21 days, with 26% taking more than 50 days to conclude (Ofsted, 2024).

The allegation process plays an important role helping to keep care experienced children safe from potential harm, but understandably this process can be an upsetting time for both the child and the foster carer and their family. Fostering services should provide input and support for foster carers throughout the allegation process and in many cases, the right support can help foster carers feel able to continue to foster.

We have a range of resources to provide you with more information about the allegations process and answer frequently asked questions, as well as advice on how to minimise the risk of an allegation being made.

If you need further support or advice, please get in touch with us to speak with one of our friendly and supportive fostering advisors. Fosterline also offers a referral-only counselling service for foster carers, which you can learn more about here.