This may include a relative of the child or a non-relative with whom the child has formed a relationship. The Child Arrangements Order Allowance is based on the Basic Adoption Allowance rate LESS child benefit, any tax credits, i.e. From that maximum allowance, a means test should be carried out, in order to reach the appropriate allowance. The social worker should arrange the assessment, using available resources – this could be the Locality Team, Children’s Resource Team or the Adoption and Permanency Team. Local authorities have the power to pay an allowance to a carer with a Child Arrangements Order. From the timing of the adoption order the standard national child benefit allowance is payable to adopters. The Child Arrangements Order Allowance is based on the local fostering rate. Process to be followed when the Local Authority is supporting an application made by a family member or relative for a Child Arrangements Order or Special Guardianship Order. Disability Issues – THIS IS A SPECIALIST AREA AND CoramBAAF form F2, part 3 should be used for reference as to additional information needed. 1. The Business Support Officer will liaise with the Finance Department. The Child Arrangements Order Allowance is based on the Basic Adoption Allowance rate LESS child benefit, any tax credits, i.e. Where an approved foster carer or Connected Person Foster Carer (including temporary approval) applies to the court for a Child Arrangements Order with the support of the Council, in respect of a child who is already a Child in Care (whether accommodated under s20 or the subject of a Care Order); or. Procedure for Approval of Allowances 6. (1) They replaced Residence and Contact Orders respectively. There is sufficient concern about the care of the child and the placement can no longer be supported; Notification is received that the child is no longer living with the holder of the Child Arrangements Order; The carers no longer meet the financial criteria for a Child Arrangements Order Allowance; An Interim Child Arrangements Order does not become a full Child Arrangements Order. Where the Adoption and Permanency Panel’s endorsement of the Permanence Plan as in the best interests of the child is not required, the conclusion that a Child Arrangements Order is the appropriate Permanence Plan for the child is made through the usual planning and review process based on the current and up to date needs assessment of the child and an assessment of the proposed carer and presented to the Designated Manager (Child Arrangements Orders) for authorisation. Financial Support for Carers with Non-Agency Adoption Orders 7. Contact Issues: Links with birth family, any difficulties, child protection issues. https://www.proceduresonline.com/barnsley/cs/p_charr_allow.html The Child Arrangements Order (Allowance) application should then be provided for the Designated Manager (Child Arrangements Orders). (1) The term 'Child Arrangements Order' includes both orders directing with whom a child is to live (formerly residence orders) and orders directing with whom the child is to spend time (formerly contact orders). The assessment will consist of an abbreviated version of CoramBAAF Form F2, Format for Child Arrangements Order Allowance application, available in the Tri-Borough Fostering and Adoption Service. A Child Arrangements Order may be used to increase the degree of legal permanence in a placement with relatives or friends, or a long-term fostering placement, where this would be in the child's best interests. This is a complicated area … It will only be in exceptional circumstances that a Child Arrangements Order Allowance will be considered appropriate such as where the child’s social worker providing family support work is clear that the child would need to be accommodated if a Child Arrangements Order with Allowance were not possible. A review can take place sooner if: Privacy Policy We assume it is based on remarks in the Lewisham case in 2008 repeated in the Kirklees case in 2010 that Bradford (like many councils) have until now interpreted as requiring them to harmonise their fostering allowance rates with SGO Allowances, without requiring the same of their schemes for calculating Child Arrangement Order or Adoption Order Allowances. 4. Each Child Arrangements Order is decided on the circumstances of the individual family and on what is in the best interests of that particular child. This will take into account the financial resources of the holder of the Child Arrangements Order including any financial benefit in the form of maintenance, welfare benefit payments or other forms of income or capital arising from the placement of the child. For more information about how a Child Arrangement Order can help you, see our case study. child tax credit and working tax credit, and any residual income. (2) Exceptionally, an allowance may be considered in other cases, where the child is not, and is not at risk of becoming, a Child in Care. This Order makes amendments to secondary legislation in consequence of section 12 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which removes the definition of “residence order” and “contact order” in section 8(1) of the Children Act 1989 and replaces it with a new order, the “child arrangements order”. On-going Financial Support on a Set Payment Basis Where a Child is Subject to A Care Order 8. If you have children. Duration of Allowance 7. Review Procedures The child - the financial needs that arise (e.g. Reviews may take place more frequently where there has been a significant change in the child’s circumstances or where the circumstances otherwise require it. There are also situations where somebody with whom the child is not living wishes to acquire Parental Responsibility and care for the child on a similar basis. Child Arrangements Orders can be made until the child reaches 18 years. Any requests for exceptional payment of Child Arrangements Order Allowance will be subject to a prior assessment, coordinated by the Service Manager with the prior agreement of the Head of Service. Such assistance will only be considered when the local authority supports the carer's proposal to apply for a Child Arrangements Order. If you have 1 or 2 children, you’ll get an extra amount for each child. There is reason to believe that the arrangements may no longer be the most appropriate way of meeting the child's needs. This is now referred to as a “Lives with Order”. In both cases, the assessment report should include a Contingency Plan for the child in the event that the carer is no longer able to continue caring for the child. Exceptional payments in the form of time limited or single payments may be made when: the child has particular or special needs which result in additional expenses over and above the general maintenance allowance. A local authority may make a contribution to a person in whose favour a Child Arrangements Order has been made, except where a Child Arrangements Order is made in favour of a parent. A decision to pay a Child Arrangements Order Allowance will be made by the Designated Manager (Child Arrangements Order). Once a Child Arrangement Order is made by the Court, the person or people named in that Order have Parental Responsibility for the child or children until the Order comes to an end. Application to the Inland Revenue should be made by the carers for tax credits. Remember, the payments are in addition to the standard Child Benefit payment. Deductions may be made to take into account Child Benefit and Tax Credit. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Social Service Dept checks, referees x 2, Social Work Assessment and recommendation. Details of transitional payments where these apply will be included in the Proposal letter. 1. Child Benefit, Family Tax Credit etc. Standard Rate £67.88 Enhanced Rate … Income Support) can get paid every week. 3. Disability issues – refer to Form F2 part 3. The social worker must ensure that the Foster Carer is aware of this. It replaces residence orders and contact orders under s.8 Children Act 1989. All child arrangements order allowances are subject to an annual financial review. Recipients of Child Arrangements Order Allowances will be provided with written materials describing how the scheme works and the expectations they must comply with. See BMBC Adoption, Special Guardianship and Child Arrangements Order Allowances Policy. The completed FPU 136R, when received, will be sent to the Finance Department, and a copy retained on the file at the Family Placement Unit. Child Arrangements Order Allowances may be considered in the following circumstances: In both of the above cases, a Child Arrangements Order Allowance can only be paid if: Carers should apply for a decision on the payment of an Allowance in advance of an application to the Court for a Child Arrangements Order. Allowances will not normally be paid where a child is not, and is not at risk of becoming, looked after. child arrangement orders will look first to any personal resources, tax credit or benefit available by way of financial support for the child. This reflects the child's plan for permanence; but. Types of Financial Assistance 3. Such orders are often granted where parents of a child or children separate and there is a dispute about where the children should live, or with whom they should spend time. This chapter should be read in conjunction with: BMBC Adoption, Special Guardianship and Child Arrangements Order Allowances Policy. a trust fund) of the child. If a child is placed with you by the local authority then unless you agree with them when they place the child that it is to be a private arrangement, you may be entitled to be assessed as a foster carer and receive a fostering allowance. Child arrangements order allowance. A profile of the child and their needs to include specific reference to why a Child Arrangements Order and allowance is needed to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare; Family composition to include household members, other significant family members, age, ethnicity, religion, occupation, relationship to child; Brief Background History – consider following issues as appropriate:-. Paragraph 2 of that section says: If the court is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a person has failed to comply with a provision of the child arrangements order, it may make an order (an “enforcement order”) imposing on the person an unpaid work requirement. You could set up a standing order or use a money transfer service. Where the Adoption and Permanency Panel has already considered a Permanency Decision for Permanency for the child, a further report should be presented to the Adoption and Permanency Panel. The format of the application should cover the following issues: Accommodation: any safety issues. A child will no longer be a Looked After Child once a Child Arrangements Order is made and the fostering placement comes to an end. There is no statutory right for a person in whose favour a Child Arrangements Order has been made to receive a financial assessment in relation to Child Arrangements Order allowances. Introduction 2. Once you’ve got your Child Arrangements Order, there’s no additional entitlement to support, although you will be able to claim Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits if applicable. This document is only valid 72 hours after printing, BMBC Adoption, Special Guardianship and Child Arrangements Order Allowances Policy, Assessment for Child Arrangements Order Allowance. Adoption Allowance and Special Guardianship Allowance. https://www.proceduresonline.com/lancashirecsc/p_ch_arr_allow.html Such orders can however also be made in respect of children who are currently placed with foster carers, including Independent Foster Agency Carers and Connected Person Foster Carers either temporarily or fully approved. Annual review may also lead to the level of payment being varied. If not returned, the allowance may be suspended until the necessary information is received. an assessment by the child’s social worker to determine the level of needs, presented to the funding panel and the enhancement rate will be reviewed on a yearly basis. Single parents, or for those receiving other benefits (e.g. Child Arrangements Order Allowances will be reviewed annually by the Finance Department to establish whether the Allowance should be adjusted or withdrawn. There is no power to pay an allowance if the person with whom the child lives or is to live is a parent of the child or husband, wife or civil partner of a parent of the child. Personality, background, attitude to education; Relationships, strengths, vulnerabilities; Support networks, extended family dynamics; Experience, knowledge of parenting, refer to own childhood if necessary; Parenting capacity in relation to the specific child; Others in household, attitude to RO application, interests, employment; Particulars of any previous applications or approvals for adoption or fostering; An allowance for the applicants’ living allowance is calculated (based on Income Support allowances plus 25% of income, and essential expenditure such as rent or mortgage). Contingency Plan: alternative family care if illness etc led to breakdown. See BMBC Adoption, Special Guardianship and Child Arrangements Order Allowances Policy. Payment of Child Arrangement Order Allowances 5. (2)Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply where the person with whom the child lives, or is to live, is a parent of the child or the husband or wife or civil partner of a parent of the child. You may be entitled to an allowance following an assessment of the child’s needs and a financial means test. A Child Arrangements Order with whom the child is to live with, was referred to as a “Residence Order” prior to 2014; such an order establishes with whom the child(ren) are to live with on a full-time or shared basis. The statutory power to pay an allowance is not restricted to cases where the child is a Child in Care, or indeed to cases where the local authority has pre-existing involvement. As a result of private law proceedings where the local authority is not looking after the child and is not considering looking after the child; As a result of private law proceedings brought by family members who are caring for the child as an alternative to the child becoming a Child in Care. Extra amounts. Where the Care Plan identifies that it is in the child’s best interests for his or her carers to obtain a Child Arrangements Order but the potential carers have not been assessed as substitute carers, an assessment should be undertaken. This can be paid until the child is … We use cookies to track usage and preferences. Application to the Inland Revenue should be made by the carers for tax credits. Child Arrangements Order: This is an order from the court which can say: o who a child lives with and o with whom they spend time, and for how long. The calculation of Child Arrangements Order Allowance is based on the following: If the carer meets the financial criteria for a Child Arrangements Order Allowance and the other criteria identified above then a Child Arrangements Order Allowance is paid. Guardian Allowance payments cannot usually get paid into: 1. In many cases this will mean that either the mother or father of the child(ren) will be the primary carer. 15(1)Where a child lives, or is to live, with a person as the result of a child arrangement order, a local authority may make contributions to that person towards the cost of the accommodation and maintenance of the child. The weekly level of payment is determined by a financial assessment (means test). A Child Arrangements Order can therefore arise in any of the following circumstances: In all of these cases, the court will also have the option of making a Special Guardianship Order. Financial Review Forms will be sent by post with a deadline date for return. The core allowance, plus any additional enhancement, needed to meet the child's needs should be calculated and used as the maximum allowance. The allowance, if made, is for the maintenance of the relevant child or children and, if agreed, is payable from the date the Child Arrangements Order is made. 2… pay you a child arrangements order/residence order allowance. Financial Support for Carers with Agency Adoption Orders 6. If the carer does not meet the financial criteria then no allowance is paid. Talk to your social worker to find out if you can get this allowance. Currently, child arrangement carers who have been assessed as being eligible for an allowance are paid an allowance pursuant to the 2009 Residence and SGO Allowances scheme. Any support with legal costs of conducting proceedings will be subject to a condition that the local authority will pay no more than the applicable legal aid rates for the work undertaken. The original CoramBAAF Form F assessment, together with most recent Foster Carer Review and an up-date report to include the understanding of and commitment to the long term care of the child/children should be provided for the Designated Manager (Child Arrangements Orders). When a referral is received for a Residence Order Allowance Assessment, a social worker will be allocated to conduct an initial visit. It is expected that the carer will apply for the Child Benefit allowance which will then bring the rates below into line with the rates paid to Long Term Foster Carers or Adopters. The local authority itself cannot apply for such an Order, but it can support foster carers to apply. *- Since 2011/12 and 2012/2013, the increased rate of guardian's allowance does not apply to payments being made to a person living abroad. In this advice sheet, the Child Arrangements Order we are talking about is one that sets out who the child should live with, for example a grandparent carer. Consideration may be given to assistance by way of a financial contribution towards legal and court costs but this will be dependent on individual circumstances. Once approval in principle has been given, the social worker will refer the case to the Family Placement Unit, Adoption Team Business Support Officer, for a financial assessment of the carers to be carried out by the Finance Department. When is a Child Arrangement Order Appropriate? The allowance (b) is subtracted from the available income (a) leaving a sum which is a residual income. Assistance with Legal Fees Where a Child is Not Subject to a Care Order 6. In other cases, the local authority may support a family member to apply for an order. However, the local authority has a power to make a discretionary contribution to a person in whose favour a Child Arrangements Order has been made, except where the order is made in favour of a parent. Financial Support for Carers with Child Arrangements Orders 5. https://yorkchildcare.proceduresonline.com/chapters/p_charr_allow.html Specific and/Or Time-Limited Assistance for Children Subject to Child Arrangements Orders 7. Principles Underlying the Provision of Financial Assistance for Child Arrangements Orders 4. For approved foster carers who have been fostering a child who becomes the subject of a Child Arrangements Order, transitional payments may be made in respect of the carer's Fostering Fees that cease to be paid when a Child Arrangements Order is made. What is a Child Arrangement Order? A deduction is made in respect of Child Benefit and Tax Credits paid for the child. A preliminary financial assessment can give an indication whether an Allowance, IF AGREED, would be payable and at what rate. These Regulations direct Local Authorities to have regard to how much fostering allowance would have been paid had the child been fostered rather than cared for under a Special Guardianship Order. Where carers applying for a Child Arrangements Order Allowance have previously been approved as foster carers, no further assessment of the carers is required. Merton had considered the DfE model and declined to use it, on the basis that it did not reflect the circumstances of the family. Introduction 2. A Child Arrangements Order is an order that regulates with whom a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact, and when a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact with any person. Your Child Maintenance Arrangement; Paying child maintenance through a family-based arrangement. Where foster carers are applying for a Child Arrangements Order (which regulates with whom the child should live), in respect of a child they have been fostering, and Derby City Council supports this plan, the carers will ordinarily receive an allowance until the child is 18. 7.4 For those families taking a residence order on a child who meets the criteria there will be no financial assessment and the allowance will be payable at the equivalent fostering allowance rate (excluding any child benefit that the family may be eligible for) 2003/4 rates Age Fostering allowance weekly Fostering Allowance Calendar monthly 10 A section 8 order [this includes a child arrangements order] shall, if it would otherwise still be in force, cease to have effect when the child reaches the age of sixteen, unless it is to have effect beyond that age by virtue of section 9(6).