{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/fostering-services-regulations-2002/regulation-18",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/fostering-services-regulations-2002/regulation-18.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2002/57",
  "legislation_title": "The Fostering Services Regulations 2002",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/fostering-services-regulations-2002",
  "path": "regulation/18",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "18",
  "heading": "Independent fostering agencies—complaints and representations",
  "text": "(1) Subject to paragraph (7), the registered person in respect of an independent fostering agency shall establish a written procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children placed by the agency and foster parents approved by it.\n(2) The procedure shall, in particular, provide—\n(a) for an opportunity for informal resolution of the complaint at an early stage;\n(b) that no person who is the subject of a compliant takes part in its consideration other than, if the registered person considers it appropriate, at the informal resolution stage only;\n(c) for dealing with complaints about the registered person;\n(d) for complaints to be made by a person acting on behalf of a child;\n(e) for arrangements for the procedure to be made known to—\n(i) children placed by the agency;\n(ii) their parents;\n(iii) persons working for the purposes of the independent fostering agency.\n(3) A copy of the procedure shall be supplied on request to any of the persons mentioned in paragraph (2)(e).\n(4) The copy of the procedure supplied under paragraph (3) shall include—\n(a) the name, address and telephone number of the Commission; and\n(b) details of the procedure (if any) which has been notified to the registered person by the Commission for the making of complaints to it relating to independent fostering agencies.\n(5) The registered person shall ensure that a written record is made of any complaint or representation, the action taken in response to it, and the outcome of the investigation.\n(6) The registered person shall ensure that—\n(a) children are enabled to make a complaint or representation; and\n(b) no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation.\n(7) The registered person shall supply to the Commission at its request a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action taken in response.\n(8) This regulation (apart from paragraph (5)) does not apply in relation to any matter to which the Representations Procedure (Children) Regulations 1991 applies.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Representations, including complaints, about the discharge of a local authority’s functions under Part III of the 1989 Act and about the provision by a voluntary organisation of accommodation to any child who is not looked after by a local authority, are provided for by sections 26(3) to (8), and 59(4) of the 1989 Act, and the Representations Procedure (Children) Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991/894, as amended by S.I. 1991/2033, S.I. 1993/3069 and S.I. 2001/2874)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "See footnote to regulation 18(1)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2006/1738",
      "affecting_title": "The Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure (England) Regulations 2006"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2007/603",
      "affecting_title": "The Education and Inspections Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2007"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2007/603",
      "affecting_title": "The Education and Inspections Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2007"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/57/regulation/18",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T07:16:55.059924+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}