This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), for a copy of the documents containing the following information:

1. Details of the lowest, highest and average weekly fee rates agreed with external suppliers of Independent Foster Care Services for the current year (2021/2022).
Highest weekly rate: £1,298.00
Lowest weekly rate: £789.00
Average weekly rate: £886.70

2. Details of the lowest, highest and average weekly fee rates paid to local authority carers.
Highest weekly rate: £302.73
Lowest weekly rate: £568.44
Average weekly rate: £418.00

3. Details of the rates of each tier for independent fostering agencies (if there is a framework agreement in place), or confirmation that tier rates have not changed from the previous year.
The current framework has tiers but each IFA have submitted different prices. We could supply highest, lowest and mean for each tier if that would help. Also the prices were subject to an uplift from last year.

4. The number of looked after children in foster care as of 31 March 2021 and of those children, the percentage looked after by independent foster agencies.
Number of children in foster care: 68.
Percentage in IFA: 12%