Purpose and Principles
Positive Aspirations is committed to ensuring that all foster carers receive fair, transparent, and supportive financial arrangements which recognise both their professional role and the needs of the children in their care.
This procedure sets out how allowances are structured, monitored, and reviewed in a way that promotes stability, dignity, and trauma-informed financial care for every child and young person.
Our approach is based on:
- Transparency – ensuring foster carers understand what each element of the allowance is for.
- Collaboration – involving children (where appropriate), foster carers, and social workers in decisions about spending.
- Empowerment – supporting carers and young people to make choices that reflect their individual needs, culture, interests, and identities.
- Consistency – ensuring that financial arrangements are applied fairly across placements.
- Sensitivity – recognising that conversations about money can be sensitive, particularly for children who may have experienced financial insecurity or neglect.
Allowance Overview
Foster Carers are paid:
- £462 per week for children aged 0 to 10 years, and
- £490 per week for children aged 11 to 17 years.
Each payment is divided into two parts:
1. Carer’s Allowance
This portion belongs to the foster carer and reflects their professional care, time, skill, and household costs such as rent, utilities, food, and general living expenses. It is a recognition of their ongoing commitment to providing safe, nurturing, and trauma-informed care.
2. Accountable Allowance
This allowance must be spent directly on the child, supporting their individual needs as outlined in the Initial Placement Agreement. It covers personal items, activities, and development opportunities that contribute to the child’s emotional, educational, and social well-being.
| 0 to 10 years old | 11 to 17 years old | |
| Carer’s Allowance | £387 | £400 |
| Accountable Allowance (including savings) | £75 | £90 |
| Total Weekly Payment | £462 | £490 |
Recording and Monitoring of Accountable Allowance
We recognise that children who have experienced trauma benefit from consistent and predictable care routines. This includes how money is managed and how their personal items, savings, and experiences are supported.
Foster Carers are encouraged to keep simple, non-intrusive records of accountable expenditure. These records are not for scrutiny but to ensure transparency, protection, and that funds are being used to enrich the child’s life. Supervising Social Workers (SSWs) will review these records with carers during supervision, focusing on support and guidance rather than judgment.
Categories of Accountable Expenditure (Guidance per Week)
| Category | Under 11s | Over 11s | Purpose / Trauma-Informed Notes |
| Pocket Money | £0–£5 | £5–£25 | Encourages trust, autonomy, and financial learning in line with developmental stage. |
| Savings | £10 | £10 | Builds future security and a sense of permanence. |
| Educational & Leisure Activities | £5–£20 | £5–£20 | Supports self-esteem, belonging, and resilience. |
| Toys, Books, Educational and Leisure Equipment | £10 | £10 | Encourages play, learning, and creativity as tools for healing. |
| Clothing and Footwear | £15 | £15–£25 | Promotes dignity, self-expression, and confidence. |
| Festivals & Birthdays | £5 | £5 | Ensures every child feels valued and celebrated. |
| Holiday/Activity Allowance | £0–£15 | £0–£15 | Encourages inclusion, adventure, and family connection. |
| Personal Care | £0–£15 | £5 | Supports self-care, hygiene, and healthy identity. |
| Mobile Phones | £0 | £5 | Encourages safe independence and connection with trusted adults. |
| Total Accountable Expenditure | £75 | £90 |
Flexibility and Individualised Approach
The above figures are guidelines and should be adapted to meet the needs of each child.
Foster Carers, young people (where appropriate), and social workers are encouraged to discuss spending choices together, ensuring that decisions are made in a supportive, transparent, and child-centred manner.
It is acceptable to spend more or less on specific categories as long as the total accountable expenditure remains:
- £75 for children aged 0–10 years, and
- £90 for young people aged 11–17 years.
These decisions should always be recorded as part of the child’s supervision discussions to promote shared understanding and accountability.
Supervising Social Worker Role
SSWs play a key role in:
- Supporting foster carers to manage allowances confidently and in line with trauma-informed practice.
- Ensuring children’s voices and choices are heard in relation to their money and personal items.
- Monitoring expenditure through regular discussions, not audits, ensuring that carers feel supported rather than inspected.
- Offering practical advice where financial pressures or uncertainties arise.
Review and Evaluation
Allowance structures will be reviewed annually to ensure they remain fair, transparent, and in line with local authority expectations and national minimum standards. Any changes will be clearly communicated to carers in advance, with opportunities for discussion and feedback.
