Family and Friends Foster Carers Assessment and Approval Procedures

Before any decision is made about what type of placement, if any, is needed the child's Social Worker should have completed an Assessment of the child's need which in turn should be the basis for a Care Plan.

Child Care Social Worker

• The Child Care Social Worker may refer for a Family Group Meeting (FGM) in order for the child's extended family to explore all the possible options available to them, and make a plan for the child's future.

• The person(s) with parental responsibility must give their consent before a referral can be made.

• The FGM may be used to decide whether any family members wish to be assessed as possible carers for the child. Depending on their age and understanding, the child/young person will play a central role in deciding who should be invited to the meeting and what their placement preferences would be. The resulting Family Plan should be agreed by Children's Social Care as long as it is deemed safe and legal. This may depend on the result of Family and Friends Assessments.

Child Care Social Worker

Once:

1. It has been identified that the child's needs would be best met by a placement with a Family and Friends Foster Carer(s) Placement. (If there are any parental disagreements these should be recorded).
   
   and

2. That all parties with Parental Responsibility for the child and the Applicant Family and Friends Foster Carer(s) are in agreement with the placement; the planning meeting should, where possible, decide on the practical arrangements and timetable for the placement.

Child Care Social Worker

The Planning Meeting should comprise of the following people:

• Parent(s)/person with parental responsibility;

• Child/Young Person (Depending on age and maturity);

• Applicant Family and Friend Foster Carer(s);

• Child's Social Worker;

• Fostering representative;

• Any other relevant person.

The child care social worker briefly assesses the suitability of applicants by:

• Interviewing applicant family and friends foster carer(s) and all other household members.

• Inspecting the applicants house and in particular the sleeping arrangement for the Child in Care.

• Requesting that the applicants complete form AA1 and then ensuring this is returned to their administration team.

Child Care Social Worker

The Child Care Social worker then:

• Creates a Contact (on the child's record on ICS) requesting a Family and Friends Assessment to the Fostering Team;

• Completes the Request for Family and Friends Fostering Assessment (See ICS Business Process)

• Ensures that fostering duty are aware of any court timescales for the child.

Child Care Social Worker

The Fostering Admin Worker can then upload the Family and Friends Assessment Request into the Forms Tab in the Foster Carer Recruitment Module. This is then tasked to the fostering Team manager for allocation to a Fostering Team Social Worker within 3 working days.

Fostering Admin Worker

Once allocated to a fostering team social worker they will contact the applicants to discuss the assessment process and will book the assessment on to the fostering panel, ideally within 16 weeks.

Fostering Team Worker

Once allocated to the Fostering Team Social Worker they will carry out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks on every person aged 18 years and over in the applicant(s) household. The assessing social worker will need to ask the applicant(s) and other persons aged 18 years and over living at the address to disclose all criminal convictions and cautions regardless of whether they are spent. All persons who have substantial access to children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Fostering Team / Support Worker

The applicant's referees (minimum of two required) will be interviewed and a written report provided regarding their suitability as referees.

Other Agency checks (including Safeguarding Systems checks) will be carried out.

The applicant(s) will be invited to attend the Skills for Foster Care training programme.

A Foster Carers medical for Applicant Family and Friends Foster Carer will be arranged by the Fostering Team Administration. It is very important that this is followed though with the applicant to ensure that timescales can be adhered to. Applicants must make an appointment with their GP as a matter of urgency as any delay would prevent the application coming to Panel within the required timescales.

Child Care Administration / Fostering Support Worker

A competency based fostering assessment of the Applicant Family and Friends Foster Carer will assess their suitability and parenting ability as well as their ability to meet the needs of the Child In Care, as well as an ability to work with professionals.

Fostering Worker

The following areas will be addressed in detail during the assessment and recorded on the Competency Based Assessment Form:

Caring for Children

1. An ability to provide a good standard of care to the specific foster children, which promotes healthy emotional, physical and sexual development as well as their health and educational achievements.

2. An ability to work closely with children's family, and others who are important to the child, and considering family / relationship dynamics which may impact upon the placement. Consideration will be given to issues such as contact, carers, and current and previous relationships with parents / extended family.

3. An ability to set appropriate boundaries, and manage children's behaviour within these, without the use of physical or other inappropriate punishment.

4. A knowledge of normal child development and an ability to listen to and communicate with children appropriate to their age and understanding, and considering their own previous and current relationship with the child(ren).

5. Consideration will also be given to:

   • Family relationships and safeguarding the child;

   • The timing of and attitude towards the assessment;

   • Motivation and impact on the family;

   • Carer's own feelings;

   • Accommodation;

   • Location;

   • Health;

   • Parenting capacity

   • Criminal convictions.

Providing a Safe and Caring Environment

1. An ability to ensure that children are cared for in a home where they are safe from harm or abuse, their understanding of the reasons why the children are looked after and their feelings around this.

2. An ability to help children keep themselves safe from harm or abuse, and to know how to seek help if their safety is threatened, including how they would be able to prioritise the child(ren)'s needs over their relationship with the child(ren)'s parents / extended family

Working as Part of a Team

1. An ability to work with other professional people, contribute to the agency's planning for the child/young person, and including how they would be able to manage their relationship with the child(ren)'s parents, share concerns etc. as they arise.

2. An ability to communicate effectively.

3. An ability to keep information confidential.

4. An ability to promote equality, diversity and rights of individuals and groups within society

Own Development

1. An ability to appreciate how personal experiences have affected themselves and their families, and the impact fostering the child(ren) is likely to have on their own family dynamics.

2. Having people and links within the community to provide support and the impact that caring for the child(ren) will have on these support networks.

3. An ability to use training opportunities and to improve skills.

4. An ability to sustain positive relationships and maintain effective functioning through periods of stress, including, where appropriate, how they are managing with the children being looked after, and with their own relationships with the child(ren)'s parents and extended family.

In addition to the A10 and competency based fostering assessment a completed child specific safer caring and health and safety policy should be completed, and where necessary a smoking questionnaire or any pets questionnaire.

Unless the above is carried out, the item would be deferred from the Panel as no in principle decisions will be made.

Fostering Panel

Child's Social Worker completes relevant Child In Care forms for the placement i.e. Placement Information Record (PIR).

Child Care Social Worker

Foster Children placed with Family and Friends carers are entitled to the following:

• initial clothing grants;

• birthday grants;

• holiday grants;

• mileage allowances;

• Christmas and other non-Christian festival grants such as Eid and Diwali.

For further information see:
Allowances for Foster Carers Procedure (FO3(h)) and Fostering Service Special Grants Procedure (FO3(w))

Child Care Social Worker

See also: Allowances for Foster Carers' FO3(h)

Family and Friends carers are paid an initial weekly allowance on approval at Fostering Panel to ensure that the carer is paid a weekly allowance to care for the child.

Once a Foster Carer's agreement (see Appendix 2: Foster Care Agreement Family and Friends) has been returned, carers will be paid at the level 1 enhanced rate. Those carers who have successfully completed STF training are paid the level 2 rate upon returning the Foster Care agreement.

Family and friends carers who want to be considered as a general carer and take stranger children have the opportunity to apply, be assessed, and progress in line with all other carers (see Approval of Foster Carers Procedure (FO3(b)).

The Child Care Social Worker must complete the movement sheet without delay as this generates the payment to the Foster Carers.

Once the initial application has been approved at Fostering Panel, the Foster Carers will be allocated their own social worker from the Fostering Team. This may not be the same person who carried out the fostering assessment.

Fostering Team Manager

In accordance with Regulation 30 of the Fostering Service Regulations 2011 every Family and Friends Foster Carer must have their own file.

This file is to hold all the relevant information on the Family and Friends Foster Carer(s) such as:

• 'Application to Foster', Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and other agency checks and any other reports submitted to the fostering panel
• Fostering Panel recommendations
• The notice of approval given under regulation 27(5) and any notice given under regulation 28(12)
• Foster carer agreement
• Foster Carers medical reports
• A copy of the Placement Information Record
• Evidence of Statutory Visits
• Annual reviews
• Training records
• Connected Person's Assessment (if appropriate)

The child's placement with Family and Friends Foster Carer(s) is formally approved once the Service Director for Children School's and Families Targeted Services agrees a positive recommendation from the Fostering Panel, and the carers are then notified in writing.

All to note

If the decision maker makes a qualifying determination then the applicant may appeal and the application will be referred back to the panel so that any fresh recommendations can be taken into account.

If the applicants are still dissatisfied with the decision then there are two options available to them:

1. They may invoke the Foster Care Complaints Procedure (FO3(n))
   or
2. They may apply through the Independent Review Mechanism for a review of the Fostering Service provider's 'qualifying determination'.
   For further information see: Independent Review Mechanism

Note: they cannot do both.

If no representation has been made by applicant within 28 days then the panel decision maker makes the decision.