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Claim compensation for foster care abuse

If you experienced child abuse at the hands of a foster carer employed by local authority, we can help you make a claim.

Not all children enjoy a happy upbringing. Difficult family circumstances can lead to a child being cared for by foster parents. If you have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a foster parent it may be possible to bring  a claim against the local authority who employed them.  These cases are different from `fail to remove claims,’ which are now very challenging due to recent case law. Of course case law is constantly evolving which may mean things change again in the future, but at the moment whilst foster carer claims are still possible, `fail to remove cases’ remain difficult.  If you have any doubt, please contact us for specialist helps as even if a civil claim is not possible, a claim to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority may be able to be launched. 

Sam and Robert have successfully brought claims against local authorities who have employed foster parents who have then been convicted of sexually abusing children under their care.

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At robsonshaw, we have won millions of pounds in compensation for survivors of sexual abuse. We offer no win, no fee arrangements, and can also fund expenses such as court fees

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Claiming against a local authority for foster care abuse

Until 2017, it was far more difficult to bring claims for historical abuse by a care home or foster parent. Such cases were only likely to be successful where the local authority could be proven to be negligent. This was often difficult in historical cases, where old records were hard to trace or incomplete, and potential witnesses had moved on.

Then a case in 2017 changed the law and created a new and easier path to making a claim successfully for abuse whilst in foster care. The case involved a woman who, aged seven, had been taken into care by Nottingham City Council and subsequently abused by the foster parents she was placed with.

The court upheld the claim that the local authority was responsible for the abuse, in a similar way that an employer might be held responsible for the actions of its employees. This marked a milestone as being the first time this principle had been successfully applied to a claim against a local authority. 

Can you make a claim?

Ask us for a free initial consultation. We can go through the circumstances of your case and advise you on the best course of action. 

We offer no-win, no-fee arrangements and can be contacted in complete confidence on a 24/7 basis about your potential claim for foster care abuse.

You can also contact us using any of the following local rate numbers:

Why Choose Robsonshaw

24/7 Legal Service

Direct Access To Solicitors

Your case is personally handled by a specialist solicitor who only deals with sexual abuse claims.

Why Us

Empathetic Legal Process

We guide you through each step providing expert legal support from start to finish.

No win, no fee

No Financial Worries

We offer No Win No Fee Agreements, funding for your disbursements, competitive success fees and no unnecessary insurance.

Claim FAQ's

Charges are different depending on the funding arrangement, usually a Conditional Fee Agreement for Civil claims, or a Contingency Fee agreement for CICA claims. In either funding arrangement it will not cost you anything if you lose. If we take on your claim and you win your civil claim, we recover your costs and disbursements from your opponent. If we agree to charge you a success fee, this is calculated as a percentage of your legal fees when your claim concludes and is not based on your winnings (although it cannot be more than 25% of your compensation).  If we are representing you in a CICA claim, if you win, our charges are 25% of your compensation including VAT.  

Sometimes it is very difficult to know if you have a valid claim.  This is because there can be different routes to obtain compensation.  We offer a free, confidential and no obligation telephone consultation so please give us a call and we can let you know your options and whether you have a claim that can be pursued. 

Yes, most of the claims we pursue are historic. However, in very old cases much depends whether the perpetrator has been reported to the police and when.  There are also evidential difficulties if you leave it too long to bring a claim as witnesses can be difficult to trace and documents destroyed or lost.  Limitation is less of an issue following case law which has changed the way the Courts approach limitation in historic sexual abuse claims, although cases are very fact specific and we can quickly advise you if we think we can help you pursue a non-recent claim for sexual abuse. Please contact us for a free, no obligation chat for specialist help.

Civil claims can take anything from a year to much longer, depending on the defendants stance and if proceedings need to be commenced. CICA claims can take anything from 12 months to three years to conclude, occasionally longer if an Appeal is necessary.

How can we help?

Please fill in the contact form opposite and we will ring you as soon as possible. (Usually the same day). Alternatively, please email us or simply give us a call. We will do our best to advise you on your options and the best way forward. The discussion will be free and you will be under no obligation to instruct us.

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