Five-year freeze on allowances

Now council will review changes

Union officials were responding after a full council meeting last week at which children and young people convener Councillor Susan McGill was quizzed on issues relating to foster carers.

Green councillor Alasdair Tollemache stressed that the council’s fostering team did “a great job”.

But he asked what plans were in place to have a dialogue with foster carers on any proposed changes in their terms and conditions given concerns had been expressed at a recent meeting.

Independent councillor Rob Davies said that allowances and fees for foster carers had been frozen for the past five years putting “great financial pressure on these valued workers”.

He asked Councillor McGill if she agreed removing the £420 telephone allowance had been a mistake and that “these very diligent and caring people” deserved a rise in their fees and allowances.

Councillor Susan McGill, however, said the council was seeking to create a “more meaningful” support package and comprehensive offer for carers.

She added: “Following discussions with foster carers about payments in general, it was agreed to review overall payments in order to create a simplified and fair system in line with our comparator local authorities.

“The removal of the telephone allowance was agreed because developments in technology have resulted in most foster carers using multimedia telephone packages that include provision for telephone calls relating to foster care, rather than calls incurring additional costs.

“At a meeting on May 7 this year, the Foster Carers Consultative Committee and officers agreed that a review of payments would take place. The consultative committee agreed the consultation process for the review of payments. Council officers reviewed payments across Scotland, focusing on comparator local authorities.

“A focus group involving foster carers fed into a draft paper on the review of payments. A questionnaire was sent out individually seeking their views on the draft paper. The paper on the review of payments was amended in light of the feedback.

“After a recent meeting with foster carers, it has been agreed that the review of payments will be deferred until CoSLA produces a paper next year on work they have been undertaking on foster carers’ allowances. Future proposals will take cognisance of the contents of the CoSLA paper.

“We are looking at a more comprehensive review, not necessarily replacing the allowance for telephone use but looking overall at the whole package. It was awful ‘bitty’ before. Despite the challenges we have, it’s a good opportunity to look and make it a more comprehensive review.”