Fee Rates with external suppliers of Independent Foster Care Services - Find a freedom of information request

1. Details of the average fee rates agreed with external suppliers of Independent Foster Care Services for the current year (2022/2023). This is based on only one child with no disability and excludes allowances.

2. Details of the lowest, highest and average weekly fee rates paid to local authority carers (standard carer allowance, no extra skills payment).

Please note that for question 2, we do not require details of all rates paid to individual suppliers, simply minimum, maximum and average rates payable.

3. The number of looked after children in Foster Care as of 03 October 2022 and of those children, the percentage looked after by independent foster agencies.

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1. The average fee rate for placements with Independent Foster Agencies (IFAs) for 2022/23 is £854.51 per week.

2. Standard payments to local authority carers start from £150.10 per week per child up to a maximum of £257.57 per week per child.

3. 501 looked after children were in Foster Care placements as of 3rd October 2022. Of this total, 62 (12.4%) Looked After Children were residing in IFAs