Respite/Emergency

[cornishsue]

We have just started doing respite fostering - we already have two older children with us for permanence and our own children. Each of the three respites we have done have been with only 24 hours notice (hence me calling it emergency) and have been very different ages to the other children. As it has been all out of hours I have only been able to liase with the SW on the duty desk.

When each of the children have come to us (one for a weekend, another for four days and another for a fortnight) they have arrived with their clothes but nothing much else - ie no toys or items such as pottys/car seats/bottles or beakers etc. This has meant urgent trips to the supermarkets because, as I said, our other children are teenagers (or nearly). and we haven't got these things. Although trying to keep things sensible I think I spent much of the fostering allowance on toys as we had very few things a toddler could safely play with, although granted I then have the new toys for future children. As I am new to this type of fostering, and the carers from whom I have done respite are far more experienced, I assume this is the norm. I was (naively?) expecting any 'equipment' needed to be supplied and some favourite toys to come with them. This weekend we have actually had to buy a cot/bedding as the LO was too young for a bed. It's costing us a fortune!!

So my question to those of you that are more experienced is, is this the norm? And a supplementary question is can I claim the money back for any of the items I have bought (the SW I spoke to from the duty desk thought not and I felt really awkward for asking). But the truth is although we do so want to continue with this type of fostering because it seems to suit us as a family and the children have been adorable, I really do think we have 'lost money'...and unfortunately, in these strapped for cash times, we do need the allowance now I have given up work to do this.

Any advice gratefully received. Many thanks!

Firstly i would of brought a travel coat much cheaper and an be put away your fa or la should be re- embursing the money i got a £500 grant to get what i didnt already have to be honest you can get some good deals on ebay avoild mother care very pricey got a brand new pram with car saet and 5 diffrent attachments including a baby bag for £170

Also on ebay you can get job lots of new baby clothing all you need is a few gender nutral thing for each age group 0-6 months ect

For bottles ect go to wilko also £1 shop do pretty decent baby stuff

But you really need to sit down and think about how you can get the best usage of each item you buy hence getting a travel cot with a baby bassentte which can be used for children up to two and can be used as a play pen

Look on ebay and as long as your able to print off the recipt you should be ale to claim things back

The libuary also sell off old stock i got a box of books last week for £2

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Job-lot-of-baby-summer-clothes-BNWT-/170853889149

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Junior-pram-pushchair-stroller-buggy-3-in1-from-Baby-Merc-Car-seat-included-/280865485581?pt=UK_Baby_BabyTravel_Pushchairs_GL&hash=item4164e3330d#ht_16453wt_982

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Child-travel-bed-cot-Bassinet-Playpen-w-Entryway-baby-Portable-Multi-Colors-NEW-/230781687897?pt=UK_Baby_Nursery_Furniture_ET&var=&hash=item35bba91859#ht_8283wt_1175

Just some exapmles on ebay of bit you can buy for very chep that cover a wode age rage

You can also buy job lot of toys as well

Thanks so much for the advice MrBo.

I will certainly make use of ebay - as I often do for things for my own children. Thanks for the links - will check things out!

I'm usually good at spotting bargains and do a great deal of my own shopping online. However, the problem has been the lack of notice and so it has been rush into the nearest (small) town and grab what I can....a trip to the nearest large shopping centre takes the best part of a day trip there and back. I don't seem to have had time to think, but as soon as I have a minute I will think things out and make use of your suggestions.

I also don't seem to have had time to eat...but that's another story!!!

Thanks again.

Hi
I'm in a similar situation, i have been approved for a few months, doing respite until i can reduce my hours at work and hoepfully move to short term. I had a 'emergency' placement of 3 little ones 1,3 &5. Didn't have a cot so duty team suggested putting a matress on the floor and pillows next to it, which was fine, they said to go and buy a stair gate which they said they'd refund so i gave my reciept in for that. But other than that i don't think i'd buy any equipment unless they said they'd refund it.

I have been buying toys etc cheaply as and when i see them, there is a local facebook page i go on called bargains for kids XXXX (my town) where people advertise toys they want to get rid of, so got a box of cars and a car mat off there.

I am single with no kids, so my house was totally not set up for kids before i was approved. I have brought 3 beds (second hand bunk beds for double room and single bed for box room. I also brought cheap duvet, pillows and covers) The LA did say they would provide essential equipment, but i figured if i was offered a placement and didn't have even a bed, it would be manic. I am def out of pocket at the moment, but i feel ready for placements.

If they asked me to take a baby i now have a travel cot (£10 from the faecbook page) and i also have bedguards from there too. But i would tell the duty team i needed car seats, high chair etc. When i had 2 girls for the weekend their current carer did bring round their car booster seats and a suitcase with clothes/books etc.

I think its a case of build up a supply fo toys etc, but for big equipment, ask the duty team or be sure they'll reinburse it before you spend big money.

Hope that helps. Its all a steep learning curve at first (i constantly trying to figure out how it works - but just keep asking questions) - maybe see if there are other foster carers near you who you could borrow equipment from if its only short term?

If they are all coming from other foster carers I think you should ask them to bring their toys with them and anything they need. When I first began fostering my first fc stayed with us for respite and her fc brought her pram and high chair and car seat etc. Since then my LA has bought me everything necessary. They are really good and will always refund the big stuff. Not toys though obviously but it is amazing how quickly you build up a collection.

Our LA also give a start up grant, once spent you are expected to buy/replace things yourself. Was a huge help but didn't cover everything a baby - 2 year old would need.
If we are asked to take an extra child in an emergency they would cover the cost of additional items such as double buggy, extra cot etc though this hasn't happened to us.
I would think your FO should be able to arrange payment for essential equipment you have had to buy, especially large items like a cot and bedding and I would be sure to ask.
I agree if a LO is coming from another carer it would be better to have their own toys, clothes etc. Our first respite LO brought loads of toys, her own bedding, cot mobile etc and it really helped her settle though this was a well planned in advance stay.
It is a good idea to try and build up a stock of things you may need like sterilizer, bottles, potty and toys but hopefully you will get some help with the cost.
Good luck :)

Thanks for the advice everyone. Unfortunately our LA won't finance even essential items for respite/emergency, but I shall certainly ask the previous carers if they can bring things along.

Going to look at ebay now! Any other advice will be welcomed!

CornishSue, if the children are emergency placements do you not get paid a higher rate? My LA is as tight as yours sounds (!) and won't reimburse any items bought either, but they do pay more for emergency, at least for the first day.

I've used respite a couple of times and would always take along everything the child needed - even milk or food if child was a baby, and nappies. Definitely their car seat/pram/travel cot/toys.

I love eBay but wouldn't bother buying large items like prams because you might not need them again for ages and then have the hassle of storing them - my local contact centre has a store of prams that we can borrow, could your SW not check if yours does too? Also, its worth making contacts with other foster carers at support groups because most of us are happy to lend out bigger items we're not using at the time (if only to gain some space at home!)

I can barely believe what I am reading. I have 30 years experience as a social worker and the last 15 as a tm mgr for a fostering & adoption team. I have been retired since 2004. It seems like things have changed drastically and that foster carers are being treated appallingly. I know this govt is slashing budgets and so LAs have to decide where to make the cuts, but it seems that many LAs have decided they will cut costs with foster carers - shocking.

Most placements are emergency by definition really as very few placements can be planned beforehand. However respite care is not remotely similar to emergency - I think the LA are playing fast and loose with you foster carers. Respite care means that you agree to take children on a planned basis, usually to give fcs a break - maybe 2 weekends a month or so many hours a week or whatever, but it is planned Some LAs have schemes where foster carers are approved to take children on respite straight from birth parents, again planned to give the parents a break in the hope that this will enable them to be able to safely care for their children.

As for not reimbursing you for money spent on these repsite/emergency placements, I cannot believe it. In the LA where I worked we always reimbursed carers for any necessary equipment and clothing etc. I can't believe that a sw told a carer to put a mattress on the floor for a 1 year old (think that's right) but the poster was certainly talking about 3 children under 4. Look OP I think you must insist that you are re-imbursed, and should not be embarrassed about asking.

I think you need a along talk with your fostering social worker to discuss this issue of respite carers being used as emergency carers - not the same thing at all. I'm not sure what the definition of respite care was given when you were approved as respite carers alongside permanent carers, but this needs sorting. You are being exploited and LAs don't deserve foster carers if this is how they treat them.

I am so glad I foster where I do They are very reasonable and supportive. I know if I needed to buy some equipment the money would be reimbursed. At one stage they wouldn't let me have a child on a campbed (we had a family for respite) so they wouldn't have agreed about the mattress on the floor by any means. I had to put my own child on the campbed and bring another bed into the room and somehow that was ok just as well as all 3 the children were wanting to be on the camp bed

Nana nina, money has indeed become very tight - we don't even get a cup of tea or coffee at training events any more but get sent to the Starbucks round the corner if we want a drink (paid for by us). In fact, training has greatly reduced too because that costs money as well! I dread to think what a state the country will be in in 5 years time as I know lots of fellow FCs are ready to call it a day over the lack of money - and a lot of the others in my area are reaching retirement age so don't need the hassle of the extra duties continuously being placed on us these days. All of this at a time when the number of children coming into care has increased greatly.

Just unbelievable Scarlet 5 - NO coffee at training course and you have to fo and buy your own!! Do LA carers still have foster care associations that are just for them, without sws. The LA I worked in had a very thriving one and it ranged from coffee mornings in each other's homes, outings with the kids, christmas party (which the LA paid for and we also paid for every foster child to go to the pantomine each year ) Their other function was to call us into one of their meetings if they had complaints, and they were very influencial - because they were in a group - you know "united we stand divided you fall"

If you are in any of these groups why not make complaint about the things that are going wrong, as a collective. If there isn't such a group, how about starting one.

I know LAs have to slash budgets and wherever the axe falls people will not be happy but I think some of you being treated in such a bad way need to point out that they will be losing carers if things aren't changed and then they will have to buy much more expensive placements from the IFAs - how can that be logical. I think they must know this on one level (if they don't god help them) but think they know that you foster carers don't complain so they are getting away with it.

"All it takes for evil to persist is that good men(women) in your case, to sit back and do nothing" (quote from someone but can't remember who!)

Reading these posts make me so angry when I see how carers are being walked all over and exploited because some senior manager has decided that the axe has to fall on foster carers.

Thank goodness you work for a decent LA BLS - it proves that there are LAs who are not exploiting carers.

The coffee business has made me see red. How about an anonymous person talking to the local freesheet about this. Would make wonderful headlines wouldn't it "Foster carers denied tea or coffee at training events because it costs too much" - I guarantee you that would change things - overnight!

scarlet5tyger - a higher rate for emergency placements? Unfortunately not - I did not even know that existed. Though actually the recent three placements have all been officially respite, although have all arrived within 24 hours (which is my idea of emergency).

Thank you for your advice though - and yes, like you, tea and coffee have NOT been supplied at training courses either.

Thanks for the advice!

Nananina ? thanks so much for the advice and for giving us the benefit of your experience.

Having previously adopted 4 children and permanently fostering two others, we recently felt our family was complete, but that we would like to become respite foster carers. My understanding of respite being when the child?s current carers/birth family need a break ? and looking after the child, possibly on a regular basis. Are their different rates of pay for carers for different types of fostering?

However, the three placements we have had have been at less than 24 hours notice. They have all been for children already with foster carers, who were going on planned holidays. I have no idea why we were only asked the day before.

As I said the children have been babies or toddlers. I was firmly told the LA would not finance baby equipment for short term placements ? even though it has been 3 so far, hopefully more. By the response I felt embarrassed and awkward for asking. Though I was angry that car seats were not supplied ? I was not willing to compromise on the child?s safety. With non available to beg or borrow we purchased one, but again were told the LA would not re-imburse. If I had been brave enough I would have demanded a car seat, or the re-imbursement of one, at the time...that would have gone down like a lead balloon!

Thanks again for your advice. I will approach our SSW again.

Have you asked on freecycle for stuff? I think if you were open and honest about why you need stuff, you would get plenty of bits and bobs....after all, if you only have a tiny tot once in a while, you obviously wouldnt have a buggy/cot/potty etc lying around.

Id rather things went to a FC than give to someone who would ebay/carboot my stuff.

Crikey, I'm thanking my lucky stars I live where I do. My LA don't quibble, they are very supportive. They just ask that I buy medium priced stuff not top of the range, and reimburse no problem.

I don't understand how they won't pay for a car seat, if they can't provide you with one. It's a legal requirement. What would they do if you said sorry but I just can't afford to buy one.....

Yes there are different rates for different types of fostering. It's broken down into age groups in my LA, and different again for specialist fostering like troubled teens and disabilities....

NanaNina, do you have a magic wand? I went on a training course today and not only were we provided with tea and coffee, but also with biscuits!!