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5.1.7 Placements in Foster Care

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This procedure applies to all placements of children in foster care including placements with independent fostering agencies.

For placements of Looked After children with Connected Persons who are not approved foster carers at the start of the placement, see Placements with Family and Friends / Connected Persons (Regulation 24) Procedure.

See Decision to Look After Procedure and Care Planning Procedure for procedures relating to the initial decision to looked after a child, and the drafting and approval of the Care Plan and other essential documentation.

Children may also be placed in foster care having acquired Looked After status following a Remand to Local Authority Accommodation – see Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation Procedure.

AMENDMENT

This chapter was refreshed in December 2022.


Contents

CAPTION: contents 5.1.6
   
1. Introduction
2. Consultation
3. Matching of Placement
4. Placement Planning
  4.1 The Placement Plan
  4.2 Planned Short-term Placements
  4.3 Emergency Placements
  4.4 Respite Placements
  4.5 Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters
  4.6 Long-Term Foster Placements
5. Notification of Placement
6. Support and Monitoring of Placements
7. Ending of Placements


1. Introduction

Standard 11 of the Fostering Minimum Standards looks at how a child or young person is introduced into a fostering household and states that:-

11.1) The fostering service has and implements clear procedures for introducing children into the foster care placement, to the foster carer and to others living in the household which cover planned and where permitted emergency/immediate foster carer placements. They help children understand what is expected from living in the foster home.

11.2) Children are carefully matched to a foster placement. Foster carers have full information about the child (as set out in standard 3.9)

11.3) Unless an emergency placement makes it impossible, children are given information about the foster carer before arrival, and any information (including where appropriate, photographic information) they need or reasonably request about the placement, in a format appropriate to their age and understanding. Wherever possible, children are able to visit the foster carer’s home and talk with the foster carer in private prior to the placement decision being made. Children can bring their favourite possessions into the foster carer’s home.

Whilst it is acknowledged that there is not always a choice of fostering placement children and young people should always have the opportunity to meet the carers prior to the placement and the child’s wishes and feelings should always be taken into consideration as fully as is practicable and the above guidance will be followed whenever possible.

If for whatever reason children/young people cannot meet their carer prior to placement and planning introductions cannot take place it should be made clear to the child why not.


2. Consultation

At the point that it is determined that a placement may be required, and throughout the subsequent process of identification, planning and placement, the social worker must consult and take account of the views of the following people:

  1. The child;
  2. The child's parents;
  3. Anyone who is not a parent but has been caring for or looking after the child;
  4. Other members of the child's family who are significant to the child or who have a Child Arrangements Order in their favour in relation to the child;
  5. The child's school or the education service;
  6. The Youth Offending Service, if the child is known to them;
  7. Any other relevant person, e.g. nursery, health care professional, Children's Guardian.

The views of these people should be given by them, in writing, or should be recorded by the social worker. If the child's wishes are not acted upon, the reason should be given.


3. Matching of Placement

Careful matching contributes to the stability of placements and the retention of foster carers. The matching process should consider the child's needs especially regarding the following key areas:

  • The child's education;
  • The expectations around contact with relatives and friends;
  • The child's identity/race/culture;
  • The child's history;
  • The child's behaviour;
  • The child's health;
  • The focus of the placement.

The matching process should also consider the carer's availability and:

  • Their experience;
  • Their strengths;
  • The family composition;
  • The distance from the foster home to the child's school;
  • Other children in the placement;
  • The foster carer's children.

In relation to the sharing of bedrooms, each child over 3 should have their own bedroom, or where this is not possible, the placing authority must agree to the sharing of the bedroom and this must therefore be addressed during the matching process.

If the placement is outside the foster carer's terms of approval or an exemption is required, see Fostering Exemptions and Extensions Procedure.

If the proposed placement is with an independent fostering agency, the Designated Manager (External Placements) must approve the placement and a written agreement must be drawn up with the fostering agency setting out the precise terms and conditions between the local authority and the agency in relation to the placement. Where the placement is with independent foster carers who live outside the local authority area, see also Out of Area Placements Procedure.

NB In addition to the above approvals, in order to avoid placements that disrupt a child's education, the Nominated Officer must approve any change of placement affecting a child in Key Stage 4 except in an emergency/ where the placement is terminated because of an immediate risk of serious harm to the child or to protect others from serious injury - see Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children Procedure.

If the relevant manager approves the foster placement, the placement planning process can start - see Section 4, Placement Planning.


4. Placement Planning

Children who are new in placement are welcomed sensitively and with careful and considered planning.

4.1 The Placement Plan

For children placed in foster care, the Placement Plan should cover the following issues in addition to those for all placements set out in the Decision to Look After and Care Planning Procedure:

  1. The type of accommodation to be provided and the address;
  2. Where the authority has, or is notified of, Child Protection concerns relating to the child, or the child has gone missing from the placement or from any previous placement, the day to day arrangements put in place by the appropriate person (placement provider) to keep the child safe;
  3. The child's personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin;
  4. Where the child is Accommodated:
    • The respective responsibilities of the Local Authority and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility;
    • Any delegation of responsibility by parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility to the Local Authority  and /or the foster carer(s) in relation to the following matters (and identifying any of these matters on which the local authority/parents/persons with Parental Responsibility consider that the child may make a decision):
      • Medical and dental treatment;
      • Education;
      • Leisure and home life;
      • Faith and religious observance;
      • Use of social media;
      • Any other matters upon which the local authority/parents/others with parental responsibility consider appropriate.
  5. The expected duration of the arrangements and the steps to bring the arrangements to an end, including arrangements for the child to return to live with parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility;
  6. Where the child is aged 16 or over and agrees to being provided with accommodation under Section 20 Children Act 1989, that fact;
  7. The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain in advance the Local Authority's approval for the child to take part in school trips or overnight stays;
  8. The Local Authority's arrangements for the financial support of the child during the placement;
  9. The obligation on the carers to comply with the terms of the foster care agreement.

The child's social worker will complete and arrange for the circulation of the Care Plan and Placement Plan to the child, parents and foster carers before or at the latest, within 5 working days of the placement.

At the time of the placement, the foster carers should also be given any additional information about details of the child's day to day needs which are not covered by the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record but are important to ensure that the carers are in the best possible position to help the child settle in the new placement, for example any particular fears at night-time or the child's favourite toys.

The child's social worker must provide the child and the parent with written information about coming into care, including information on using the Complaints Procedure.

In addition, as indicated above, the social worker should ensure that any other information about the placement that is available for the child is obtained and given to him/her. Children must understand house expectations before the placement is made.

In all cases, the child should be accompanied to the placement by the social worker and helped to settle in. Suitable luggage should be used and a child's belongings should never be transported in bin-bags or other inappropriate containers (see NYAS, My Things Matter Report).

4.2 Planned Short-term Placements

Once a suitable placement has been identified for a child/young person the duty FPO should e-mail the foster carers Family Album and Pen Picture to the SW for him/her to share with the child/ young person.

  • The Family Album should contain a photo of all members of the family, any pets, the house and garden and the child’s bedroom and be age appropriate for the children being placed
  • The Pen Picture should contain very brief details about the carer’s life style, age and religion, and day to day routines including the types of food they like and activities they enjoy
  • Although information about other looked after children in placement should not be included either in the Photo Album or the Pen Picture relevant information about other children in placement should be passed verbally to the child who is going to be placed.

Once the Photo Album and Pen Picture have been shared with the child/young person the SW should then liaise with the foster carer’s FPO to pass on all relevant information regarding the child/young person, including his/her likes and dislikes and to arrange a time when the child can visit the placement.

The meeting should take place at a suitable time for the child and as many of the fostering household members should be present as possible. During the meeting the child should have the opportunity to:-

  • Meet all family members and ask questions regarding ‘house rules’ and expectations of the placement;
  • Look around the home and see the bedroom where they will be sleeping;
  • If appropriate the child/young person should be given the opportunity to talk with the foster carer alone;
  • The child/young person should also be encouraged to either write down or verbally pass on to the carers any information that they feel is important to them e.g. their food likes/dislikes, any dietary requirements etc.

Following the visit the SW should ascertain the child/young person’s views of the foster placement and discuss the pace of introductions. The SW will then liaise with the foster carers FPO and plan the move.

The move should be planned having given consideration to the age and stage of development of the child and their wishes and feelings regarding the move.

4.3 Emergency Placements

When a placement needs to be made in an emergency and an in-house fostering placement is identified the duty FPO should:-

  • E-mail the SW the Family Album and Pen Picture report;
  • The SW should make time whenever possible to share these with the child/young person before taking the child to the placement (sharing these in the car on the way to placement is preferable than not at all);
  • The child should also be given the opportunity to write down (or at least think about) anything important about them that they would want to share with the foster carer.

For both planned and emergency placements consideration should be given to the young person having telephone contact with the carer prior to placement. (This suggestion was put forward by the CICC)

4.4 Respite Placements

When it has been identified that a respite placement is in the child/young person’s best interests a similar process of introduction should take place as that for a planned short term placement. Given that respite carers often have other children or young people in placement it is important the child you are placing is fully aware of the other placements the foster carer will have when they are to have respite.

All foster carers should have a supply of the ‘introduction pack’ to give to children on placement.

4.5 Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters

A person who is approved as a prospective adopter may be given temporary approval as a local authority foster carer for a named Looked After child, where the local authority consider that this is in the child’s best interests.

Before giving such approval, the responsible authority must:

  • Assess the suitability of that person to care for the child as a foster carer, and
  • Consider whether, in all the circumstances and taking into account the services to be provided by the responsible authority, the proposed arrangements will safeguard and promote the child’s welfare and meet the child’s needs as set out in the Care Plan.

The temporary approval period expires when:

  • The placement is terminated by the local authority;
  • The approval as a prospective adopter is terminated;
  • The prospective adopter is approved as a foster carer;
  • The prospective adopter gives 28 days’ written notice that they no longer wish to be temporarily approved as a foster parent in relation to the child; or
  • The child is placed for adoption with the prospective adopter.

4.6 Long Term Foster Placement

Where it is the case that the most appropriate route to permanence is long-term foster care, the regulations set out the arrangements for making such a placement, including:

  • That foster care is the plan for permanence and is recorded in the child’s care plan;
  • That the foster carer has agreed to act as the child’s foster carer until the child ceases to be looked after;
  • That the responsible authority has confirmed the nature of the arrangement with the foster carer(s), the birth parent and the child; and
  • The child and foster carer have a clear understanding of the support services they will receive to promote the placement.

The assessment and planning process for long-term foster care should address the child’s current needs and likely future needs, and the capacity of the foster carer to meet these needs now and in the future. The length of placement will vary according to the child’s age and the long-term plan for the child, including the transition to adulthood. These factors must all be taken into account in planning for support and services where long –term foster care has been identified as the plan for permanence for a child.

Before deciding to place a child in a long-term foster placement, (whether or not this means moving to a new carer) the ability of the identified long-term foster carer to care for the child both now and in the future should be assessed. The support and services which will be needed to ensure that the placement is stable, secure and meets the child’s needs should be identified taking into account the carer’s previous fostering or other childcare experience, family configuration (including placement of other children under fostering arrangements), existing relationship (if any) with the child, knowledge and skills and capacity to care for the child long term under a fostering arrangement.

It is imperative that the foster carer fully understands and explicitly agrees to the long term commitment they are making to the child. A record of the discussion of these matters including the outcome should be made as part of the assessment process.

The decision to place a child in a long-term foster placement with a particular foster carer should be discussed and recorded as part of the review process. This decision should then be recorded in the placement plan and agreed and signed by the foster carer.

Where it is agreed that the child will be placed in a long-term foster placement, this should be communicated clearly to the foster carer, the child’s parents or any other person who is not a parent but has parental responsibility and the child.

Where the decision has been taken that the plan for permanence is long-term foster care and the child is in an existing foster care placement, it may be that the carer and (where appropriate) the child want the existing foster placement to be the long-term foster placement. Such a proposal should be considered in a reasonable timescale taking into account the existing relationship between the child and the foster carer, the length of time in placement, the child’s relationships with the foster carer’s wider family and community. Consideration should also be given to the progress the child has made in the placement, recorded through the case review process.

There may be circumstances where it is not considered appropriate to assess the ability of the current foster carer as the long-term carer for the child. In these instances, the reasons for this decision should be clearly set out in writing to the foster carer. This decision should also be communicated to the child where it is appropriate to their age and understanding.

When a child/young person is matched for a long term placement (which is not the placement he/she is currently in) and that match has been agreed by the fostering panel a plan of introduction should be made.

The SW should already have had sight of the Photo Album and Pen Picture during the matching process and these will now be shared with the child/young person

Once the Photo Album and Pen Picture have been shared with the child/young person a meeting will be arranged to include the SW, the current carer and the perspective carers and their FPO’s and the family finder.

The meeting will plan the introductions and move of the child/young person and will include the following:

  • The child/young person will have the opportunity to meet all family members and ask questions regarding ‘house rules’ and expectations of the placement;
  • Look around the home and to see the bedroom where they will be sleeping;
  • If appropriate the child/young person should be given the opportunity to talk with the foster carer alone;
  • The child/young person should also be encouraged to either write down or verbally pass on to the carers any information that they feel is important to them e.g. Their food likes/dislikes, any dietary requirements etc.

The social worker will meet with the child/young person during the introductions to seek their views and feelings in an age appropriate way. A mid-way planning meeting will be arranged to ensure that the pace of the introduction is meeting the needs of the child to ensure that the placement is appropriate and the planned date is still suitable.


5. Notification of Placement

The child's social worker will update the child's electronic records with the details of the placement and ensure that notification is sent to the finance section so as to trigger payments to the foster carer.

The notifications should be before the start of the placement, wherever possible, or within 5 working days.

Notification of the placement will also be sent by the child's social worker to the Designated Nurse for Looked After Children, the education service, the relevant local Children's Services (if the placement is in the area of a different local authority) and the child's GP.

The child's social worker will notify all family members consulted and involved in the decision-making process of the placement.

The child's social worker must also notify the allocated Independent Reviewing Officer or, if it is the first placement, the Independent Review Unit of the placement. This notification will trigger the appointment of an Independent Reviewing Officer, if it is the first placement, and the setting up of arrangements for a Looked After Review.

These notifications must be made in writing, advising of the placement decision and the name and address of the person with whom the child is to be placed.

The child's social worker should also notify - preferably in writing but it may be verbally - all those involved in the day to day arrangements for the child, including nursery/school and any health professional or YOT worker actively involved with the child.

It will be necessary for the foster carer or the child's social worker to ensure the child is registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician, either retaining practices known to him or her (which is preferable) or in the area where they are placed.

In relation to a first Looked After placement it will also be necessary for the social worker to liaise with the Designated Nurse for Looked After Children to arrange a Health Care Assessment – see Health Care Assessments and Plans Procedure for further details. The social worker must also contact the relevant school of, where the child does not have a school place, the relevant education officer with a view to the completion of a Personal Education Plan – see Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children Procedure.

For any new placement, every effort should be made to enable the child to remain at the same school unless there are reasons which would be detrimental to his or her well being.


6. Support and Monitoring of Placements

The child's social worker must visit the child in the placement within one week of the placement and then, at a minimum, every six weeks during the first year, thereafter every six weeks (three months if the placement is intended to last until the child is 18). For children in long-term foster placements visits after the first year should not be less frequent than six monthly - see Social Work Visits to Looked After Children Procedure.

The foster carer will also receive support and supervision from their supervising social worker (for in-house placements) - see Supervision and Support of Foster Carers Procedure - and from the independent fostering agency (for external placements).

Where there are concerns in relation to the progress of the placement, consideration should be given to seeking additional resources to assist the carers.

Where there are any changes to the type of placement or to the child's legal status during the placement, the child's social worker must update the child's electronic records.

The records should be monitored for quality, adequacy and retention.

A Looked After Review should be convened where:

  • The child is, or has been, persistently absent from the placement;
  •  The placement provider, parents or area authority are concerned that the child is at risk of harm; or
  • The child so requests, unless the Independent Reviewing Officer considers that the review is not justified.

See also Looked After Reviews.


7. Ending of Placements

When the placement ends, the child's social worker must update the child's electronic records and notify the finance section so that payments to the carer/provider will cease. The social worker will also send copies to those notified when the placement was made.

All written information on the child, which the foster carer holds, should be transferred to the supervising social worker for transfer to the child's social worker.

In appropriate cases, the foster carer should be asked to complete an end of placement report.

Children must, when they leave the home, be helped to understand the reasons and be supported with the transition - including return home and independence.

Foster carers must be supported to maintain links with children who leave their care, where appropriate.

Where the placement ends in an unplanned way, consideration should be given to holding a Disruption Meeting- see Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings Procedure.

Where a former carer's records are requested by a new agency, these must be made available within one month of the request.

End