North Tyneside grandmother wins guardian payment battle
- Published
Pam Purvis said she did not feel valued by North Tyneside Council
A North Tyneside grandmother who looks after her four grandchildren has won a long-running battle over how much special guardians are paid.
Pam Purvis argued her allowance was under-calculated as only a percentage of what a foster carer would receive.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found more than 170, external others had also been left out of pocked and should receive backdated payments.
North Tyneside Council has apologised and pledged to "put things right".
A Special Guardianship Order gives children who cannot live with their birth parents more permanence than a regular fostering arrangement.
'Don't feel valued'
Guardians are often grandparents or siblings and have more rights to make decisions on their behalf.
Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said it was important they had the right support for an important role.
He said: "We issued a focus report covering these issues in November 2013, and I would expect all authorities to have understood their obligations at least from that date."
It ordered the council to calculate and backdate all special guardianship allowance payments from November 2013.
North Tyneside Council said it had "got it wrong"
Pam Purvis said: "[North Tyneside Council] said they valued us - I don't feel valued.
"They said they wanted to work in partnership with us - I don't feel they did.
"I want them to do what they have been told what to do by the ombudsman, and I want it put right for every other special guardian in North Tyneside."
Paul Hanson from North Tyneside Council said: "My first reaction on behalf of myself, my team and the rest of the organisation, is to say sorry.
"Our special guardians do a really important job in looking after young people in difficult circumstances and keeping families together, and we got this wrong.
"We have high standards but on this occasion we fell short, and for about 174 people we didn't get something right that we need to put right, and are putting right now."