Foster carers in Northumberland set to receive cash boost after review

The payments had been frozen for the last decade, leaving foster carers in the county to be paid less than those in neighbouring authorities. Northumberland is in desperate need of more foster carers, with the council running campaigns to try and attract more people amid overspends in the children’s services budget.

In July, £2.7million in extra funding was provided to the children’s services fund to plug gaps, with the cabinet member for children’s services Coun Guy Renner-Thompson admitting that the “bulk” of the extra money went into children’s home placements – at an average cost of £6,000 a week.

A petition was presented to the Conservative leadership at County Hall outlining the need for action on payments. A letter, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, was also sent to all councillors.

It read: “Fees for Northumberland foster carers have been frozen for over 10 years, which amounts to a real term pay cut of 34%. Foster carers are being forced to rely on their savings and pensions to get by, or forced out of fostering all together.

“Northumberland pays £67 less per week in fees than South Tyneside, £125 less per week than Cumberland, and £47 less per week than Scottish Borders. As a result, foster carers are struggling to get by and to provide the support the young people in our care deserve.

“This has led to Northumberland facing a retention and recruitment crisis as many foster carers have just given up. As a result, Northumberland is spending larger and larger amounts of money on extremely expensive private agencies to plug the gaps. This is unsustainable.”

Labour’s Coun Julie Foster, shadow cabinet member for children’s services, urged the Tory administration to take action.

She said: “Foster carers not only look after and care for the child or children, but attend meetings with a number of professionals and the number of meetings vary in line with the children’s needs.

“This often means they are unable to seek employment to supplement the family income. Northumberland Foster Carers have not received what would be the equivalent of a pay rise in over 10 years! This cannot continue.”

Coun Renner-Thompson confirmed that a review would take place in the near future. He also criticised the previous Labour administration, which left office in 2017, for introducing the freeze in the first place.

He said: “The freeze in weekly payments was brought in by Labour when they ran the council. They have not raised the issue at all until now, eight months from the local elections.

“Northumberland Childrens Services were recently ranked ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED. The report cites the support, training and networks for foster families in Northumberland, which is not always available in other councils.

“Our foster carers do vital work looking after children and young people who need it the most. Which is why we are reviewing the payments made to foster carers with draft proposals for an immediate uplift to the weekly payment, followed by another uplift in April 2025 as part of setting the annual council budget.”