Northumberland foster carers to rally to demand respect and fair pay

• Foster carers will gather outside Northumberland Council’s offices on Wednesday to raise concerns about the future of the local care system after the departure of high numbers of experienced carers
• Following a ten year fee freeze, Northumberland foster carers’ pay has fallen against inflation, and is lower than what carers in neighbouring councils receive
• Carers belonging to the IWGB Foster Care Workers Union are calling for pay in line with Cumberland, transparency around rights and entitlements, and regular dialogue between the council and elected representatives

Monday 13 January 2025: Foster carers will gather outside Northumberland Council offices on Wednesday to raise growing concerns about the future of the local foster care system. The demonstration will seek to highlight low pay, disrespect, and a lack of transparency as key factors pushing foster carers out and threatening the future of vulnerable children’s care in the area.

Until October last year, Northumberland Council had not raised carers’ fees for ten years, despite childcare costs rising in that time. The pay rise announced in October was not enough to bring fees in line with inflation, and those who foster in Northumberland remain on lower pay than those who foster in neighbouring councils.

The demonstration on Wednesday, organised by the IWGB Foster Care Workers Union will call for Northumberland fees to be brought in line with those in Cumberland. Other demands include for the council to meet regularly with elected representatives of the union, and for there to be greater transparency around foster carers’ entitlements.

Carers’ concerns about the capacity and quality of Northumberland’s foster care provision are rooted in the high number of carers leaving the council each year. According to FOIs obtained by the IWGB Foster Care Workers Union, at least 55 foster carers were deregistered in the financial year 2023-24, around a quarter of the total number of carers at the time.

Meanwhile the council is increasingly turning to expensive private agencies to plug gaps. In 2023-34, private agencies used up 27% of the council’s budget to provide just 10% of placements.

Kath Burn, a local foster carer and member of the IWGB Foster Care Workers Union, said: “I work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year to provide a loving home for the vulnerable Northumberland children who need one. I would like to believe that the council recognises and appreciates the dedication I put in, but in truth I feel undervalued and disrespected. Our fees are low and our concerns go unanswered. Councillors now have a choice to make: continue to close their eyes to the decay of local children’s care, or sit up, listen to carers, and address this growing crisis.”

Spokespeople available on request. For further information please contact Ellie Butcher, or 07883 887613.