Salford City Council – Children’s Services Directorate
Fostering Allowances 2013 – 2014
This guidance provides a brief outline of the allowances and fees payable to foster carers when they are looking after children on behalf of Salford City Council.
All foster carers receive a basic allowance, calculated according to the age of the child, for each child they look after. It is intended to cover the costs of looking after the child as a family member. This includes food, clothing, pocket money and day-to-day expenses, as well as a contribution to household expenses.
Basic Fostering Allowances
Short and long term fostering
Age range / Weekly rateBabies under 1 year / 116
1 to 4 years / 119
5 to 10 years / 132
11to 15 years / 151
16 to 17 years / 175
Payment for Skills
As well as the basic allowance, foster carers receive a skills payment, which rewards their level of experience and ability. The basic premise of Payment for Skills is that:
“Reward payments are linked with the carer’s skills and abilities to meet the needs of children who are fostered and with their commitment to training and skills development.”
The skills payment should be added to the basic allowance for each child placed with the foster carer.
Short and long term fostering
SKILLSLEVEL / CRITERIA / PAYMENT
Level 2 / All general foster carers who have attended preparation groups, undergone a CWDC standards based assessment and have been approved by the fostering panel. This is the entry level for all newly recruited foster carers (not family and friends). / Basic allowance + £60 skills payment per child
Level3 / General foster carers who have attended 4 modules of the training programme and completed the CWDC training standards. / Basic allowance + £90 skills payment per child
Level 4 / General foster carers who have attended all modules of the training programme, completed the CWDC training standards and the additional Salford standard 7. / Basic allowance + £125 skills payment per child
Short term and long term fostering
First figure - Level 2 scenarios
Second figure - Level 3 scenarios (has attended 4 training modules and completed the standards)
Third figure - Level 4 scenarios (completed all training modules and the training standards)
One child aged 5
Allowance £132
Skills payment £60 / £90 / £125
Weekly total £192 / £222 / £257
One child aged 13
Allowance £151
Skills payment £60 / £90 / £125
Weekly total £211 / £241 / £276
Two children aged 4 and 9
Allowance for child one £119
Skills payment for child one £60 / £90 / £125
Allowance for child two £132
Skills payment for child two £60 / £90 / £125
Weekly total £371 / £431 / £501
Two children aged 12 and 14
Allowance for child one £151
Skills payment for child one £60 / £90 / £125
Allowance for child two £151
Skills payment for child two £60 / £90 / £125
Weekly total £422 / £482 / £552
Three children aged 4, 6 and 11
Allowance for child one £119
Skills payment for child one £60 / £90 / £125
Allowance for child two £132
Skills payment for child two £60 / £90 / £125
Allowance for child three £151
Skills payment for child three £60 / £90 / £125
Weekly total £582 / £672 / £777
Weekly payment matrix for short term and long term (£ per child) including allowances and skills payment
Baby under 1 year / 1-4 years / 5-10 years / 11-15 years / 16-17 yearsLevel 2 / 176 / 179 / 192 / 211 / 233
Level 3 / 206 / 209 / 222 / 241 / 263
Level 4 / 241 / 244 / 257 / 276 / 300
Specialist Schemes
Focus Fostering
SKILLSLEVEL / CRITERIA / PAYMENT
Grade 1 / Newly approved focus foster carers who have attended preparation groups, undergone a standards based assessment and been approved by the fostering panel. / Basic allowance + grade 1 fee payment, £19,288
Grade 2 / Focus foster carers who have attended all modules of the training programme, attained NVQ 3 in foster care and completed the CWDC training standards + Salford standard 7 / Basic allowance + grade 2 fee payment, £19,852
3D Fostering
SKILLSLEVEL / CRITERIA / PAYMENT
Grade 1 / Newly approved 3D foster carers who have attended preparation groups, undergone a standards based assessment and been approved by the fostering panel. / Basic allowance + grade 1 fee payment, £22,022
Grade 2 / 3D foster carers who have attended all modules of the training programme, attained NVQ 3 in foster care and completed the CWDC training standards. / Basic allowance + grade 2 fee payment, £22,739
Grade 3 / 3D foster carers who have attended all modules of the training programme, attained NVQ 3 in foster care and completed the CWDC training standards + Salford standard 7.
Foster carers will need to have demonstrated an ability to work more autonomously with a clear grasp of the 3D treatment model. / Basic allowance + grade 3 fee payment, £23,639
Specialist scheme scenarios
Focus weekly payments & allowances
First figure - Grade 1 (£19,288/52 = £371 weekly)
Second figure - Grade 2 (£19,852/52 = £382 weekly)
One child aged 6
Allowance £132
Skills payment £371 / £382
Weekly total £503 / £514
One child aged 13
Allowance £151
Skills payment £371 / £382
Weekly total £522/ £533
One child aged 16
Allowance £175
Skills payment £371 / £382
Weekly total £546 / £557
3D weekly payments & allowances
Grade 1 (£22,022/52 = £424 weekly)
Grade 2 (£22,739/52 = £437 weekly)
Grade 3 (£23,639/52 = £455 weekly)
One child aged 13
Allowance £151
Skills payment £424 / £437 / £455
Weekly total £575 / £588 / £606
One child aged 16
Allowance £175
Skills payment £424 / £437 / £455
Weekly total £599 / £612 / £630
Other allowances
Retainer allowances are also paid in some circumstances for foster carers with a placement vacancy or children needing a single placement. Details of these allowances and other expenses are available from the family placement team.
Age range / Birthday & Christmas AllowanceBabies under 1 year / 116
1 to 4 years / 119
5 to 10 years / 132
11to 15 years / 151
16 to 17 years / 175
Holiday Allowance:
Age range / In Term Time / In School HolidaysBabies under 1 year / 228 / 228
1 to 4 years / 234 / 302
5 to 10 years / 258 / 342
11to 15 years / 296 / 445
16 to 17 years / 344 / 480
Essential Clothing Allowance:
Age range / Initial Clothing Allowance / After 6 WeeksBabies under 1 year / 116 / 116
1 to 4 years / 119 / 119
5 to 10 years / 132 / 132
11to 15 years / 151 / 151
16 to 17 years / 175 / 175
School Uniform Allowance:
Child starting Primary School / 120Child transferring to Secondary School / 200
Taxes
There is atax allowance of £10,000 per household plus £200 for every week or part week that a child under 11 is placed or £250 for a child over 11.
This means that almost all General foster carers pay no tax on their fostering payments but Focus and 3D carers will be liableto paytax on anything over £20,400 (child under 11) or £23,000 (child over 11).