Council criticised for denying support to foster carer for six years

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets claimed the care provided by the carer to initially three, then one, sibling was a private arrangement.

But when she applied to become the youngest remaining child's special guardian, a judge ruled the council had "woefully overlooked" her repeated applications for support, and found no evidence of a private arrangement.

The family and friends foster carer agreed to take the children after the mother, who had drug and dependency problems, was unable to care for them. She had spent repeated periods in hospital during which time the children stayed with relatives, but they could not support her children permanently.

The two brothers and a sister, who was two at the start of the arrangement, lived with the single parent and her own three children in a small three-bed council property.

The two oldest children left after a month, but the girl continues to live with her. Their mother died in 2012.

The carer repeatedly asked the council to help with living costs as the mother provided none. All three had previously been on child protection plans for neglect. Tower Hamlets refused all applications.

LGO Michael King also discovered the council failed to conduct any assessment or background check of the carer. Neither had it recorded any discussions with carer or mother to confirm the placement was a private arrangement.

It recommended the council pay the carer the allowance she would have received for three children for one month in 2010, and for one child from December 2010 to the present day. In 2015/16 Tower Hamlets council paid family and foster carers a weekly allowance of between £145 and £216 depending on the child's age.

In addition it asked Tower Hamlets to apologise, and cover additional costs amounting to £1,300.