Every fostering service has a duty to investigate all ‘allegations of harm’ and ‘allegations of poor standards of care’. These are sometimes referred to as a concern or a complaint. A complaint about a foster carer would not generally be treated as an allegation unless it related to significant harm or likelihood of significant harm.
“Suffering or being likely to suffer significant harm is the threshold for child protection enquiries and can take different forms, including sexual, physical or emotional abuse, neglect or domestic abuse (including controlling or coercive behaviour), exploitation by criminal gangs or organised crime groups, trafficking, online abuse, sexual exploitation, and the influences of extremism which could lead to radicalisation” (Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2023).