View Oxfordshire SCB Procedures View Oxfordshire SCB Procedures

3.9.7 Support and Supervision of Foster Carers

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This procedure applies to all approved foster carers

AMENDMENT

Sections 5 and 6 of this chapter were amended in October 2011 to reflect the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011, Associated Guidance and National Minimum Standards for Fostering 2011.


Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Family Placement Social Worker’s Planned Visits
  3. Family Placement Social Worker’s Unannounced Visits
  4. General Tasks of the Family Placement Social Worker
  5. Pre-placement Tasks of Family Placement Social Worker
  6. Tasks of Family Placement Social Worker During Child’s Placement
  7. Tasks of Family Placement Social Worker at End of Placement
  8. Tasks of Family Placement Social Worker if Allegations are made against the Carer


1. Introduction

All approved foster carers will have an allocated, suitably qualified family placement social worker (also referred to as the supervising social worker.)  The family placement social worker is responsible for supporting carers, ensuring that they have the necessary guidance, support and direction to maintain a consistent and high quality service.  This will include an understanding that they must work within the National Minimum Standards for Fostering 2011 and the agency's policies, procedures and guidance.

However, it is the social worker of the child or children in the foster placement who hold responsibility for individual placements of children and who therefore will provide specific advice or support in relation to any child in the placement and his or her Care Plan and Placement Plan.

The family placement social worker will ensure that lines of communication between the foster carer and the child's social worker are open and effective.


2. Family Placement Social Worker’s Planned Visits

The family placement social worker will set up a programme of visits with a clear agenda.

The agenda for each meeting should cover:

  1. Matters arising;
  2. Personal issues, e.g. effect of a placement on the foster carer’s own family;
  3. Child/ren in placement – and their health, cultural, educational, leisure needs;
  4. Training/development issues for the foster carer and family including personal development plans for each carer, linked to their training and their annual review;
  5. Safe caring including environmental issues;
  6. Foster carer’s recording.

A record of all meetings should be kept on the foster carer’s file and one copy given to the foster carer.  The record should include:

  • Details of who was present;
  • Details of children currently in placement and issues arising from their placement - education, health, leisure;
  • Any changes to the carer’s household;
  • Whether the child’s room was seen - any issues raised;
  • Any other household issues;
  • Health and Safety issues;
  • Review of any training needs.
  • Details of any unauthorised absences of children from the household since the last visit – see Thames Valley Police and Children, Young People and Families - Joint Protocol Re: Young People Missing From Care;
  • Details of the use of Sanctions or control since the last visit – see Sanctions Procedure;
  • Details of any accidents for foster children since the last visit.

Planned visits to the carer should be within 2 weeks of a placement and thereafter a minimum of six weekly when a child is placed, or three monthly where there is no placement, with telephone contact at least every four weeks.

A child’s Placement Plan / Placement Information Record may provide for more frequent visits.

In stable long term placements, a three-monthly visiting pattern is the absolute minimum direct contact allowed and this is only permitted if it is alternated with a social worker visiting on a similar basis so that a minimum six-weekly pattern of visiting is maintained.

Additional visits should be made when reasonably requested by the foster carer.


3. Family Placement Social Worker’s Unannounced Visits

There should also be unannounced visits at least once a year - these should take place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and will usually be on weekdays.  The main purpose of the unannounced visit will be to look at the home environment that a child is living in.

Family placement social workers will need to check:

  1. Who is in the home;
  2. Who is looking after the child;
  3. If the carer is not at home, what arrangements have been made for the care of the foster child.

If the carer is not at home, the family placement social worker should leave a note for the foster carer to say that they have visited.  If the foster child is being looked after by someone other than the carer, the family placement social worker should check the identity of that person but should not continue with the visit.

Unannounced visits should be recorded on the Unannounced Visit Pro-Forma.


4. General Tasks of the Family Placement Social Worker

Family placement social workers should ensure the following tasks are done:

  1. Ensure approval letter is discussed and given to new carer(s), Foster Carer Agreement is completed with the new carer and a copy placed on file;
  2. Give Foster Carers’ Handbook to new carer;
  3. Provide carer with Foster Carer Diary and explain the use of the diary for appointments and other non-personal information;
  4. Provide Training Portfolio;
  5. Complete front sheet – put on file;
  6. Register carer with ‘Fostering Network’ and ‘Oxfordshire’s Foster Carers Register’ using the ‘Foster Carer’s Registration’ Form via the Placement Service Manager’s Administrator;
  7. Provide a copy of the Foster Carer Coordinator Leaflet outlining the support offered by experienced carers;
  8. Provide information about foster carer surgeries;
  9. Explain about the availability of relief care, which will be discussed on a case by case basis and wherever possible set out in the child’s Placement Information Record at the beginning of the placement;
  10. Give Family Placement’s Administrator details of carer(s) for the mailing list – for example to invite to monthly support group meetings and any other information;
  11. Put card on the board for short term carers;
  12. Put long term carers on County green list;
  13. Put long term carers on County Support Group List.


5. Pre-placement Tasks of Family Placement Social Worker

  1. Complete safe caring policy, including risk assessments surrounding bedroom sharing (each child over 3 has their own bedroom or, where this is not possible, the sharing of the bedroom has  to be agreed by the placing authority), mixing with other children in home, etc. Discuss and check equipment (especially in the child's bedroom) and ensure it is appropriate to the age of the child;
  2. Help foster family devise welcome pack based on safe caring policy;
  3. Take part in discussions about potential placements;
  4. Take part in introductory planning discussions relating to long term placements with carers;
  5. Take part in planning meetings regarding short term placements;
  6. Take part in placement planning meetings, ensuring that individual risk assessments are completed by social workers to complement activity risk assessments;
  7. Together with the social worker, complete mitigating steps, if appropriate;
  8. Ensure social worker gives foster family required information and foster carer has necessary information on behaviour management and any other pertinent information;
  9. Discuss issues relevant to contact with birth parents;
  10. Discuss how child's health needs are promoted and how children should be encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle;
  11. Assist carers in dealing with other relevant services such as health and education.  Make sure carers realise they must register the child with a local GP, dentist and school, where appropriate, and that s(he) should be booked in for a Health Assessment and have a medical consent form signed by the parent;
  12. Assist carer with training needs for appropriate safer care practice, including skills to care for children who have been abused. For foster carers who offer placements to disabled children, this includes training specifically on issues affecting disabled children;
  13. If a child has special health needs, to ensure that the foster carers have received child specific training to meet those needs as laid down in the Shared Care Protocols for Children;
  14. Discuss financial issues with the carer: allowances, pocket money for clothing, leisure activities, toiletries and travelling etc. and the importance of Insurance;
  15. Enquire about holiday plans. Have they made plans for the child to come with them?
  16. Exchange contact numbers with all relevant members of the family;
  17. Set date of first visit (within two weeks of placement);
  18. Provide carers with training and written policy on behaviour management.


6. Tasks of Family Placement Social Worker during Child’s Placement

  1. Where necessary, check and follow up on all issues raised during pre-placement. Discuss any areas of concern with carers and ensure appropriate support/advice is addressed and in place at the time rather than waiting for reviews;
  2. Provide foster carers with breaks from caring as appropriate, which must meet the needs of placed children;
  3. Take part in Strategy Discussions/Strategy Meetings and Child Protection Assessments relating to link families. Be involved in interviews/support as agreed.  See Complaints, Allegations or Concerns about Standards of Care in Relation to Foster Carers and Members of their Household Procedure;
  4. Ensure they and the foster carers receive invitations to child’s Looked After Reviews and Child Protection Conferences, and attend when appropriate;
  5. Carry out foster carer’s Annual Review, (See Review of Foster Carers Procedure);
  6. Ensure training programme is updated and accessed by carers and carers’ family and children. Identify training needs, inform carers of relevant courses relating to training and support groups. The expectation is for at least three training sessions per year;
  7. Visit regularly. Be active in protecting and promoting their interests. Ensure the foster child and members of the carer’s own family are seen as often as possible at these meetings;
  8. Make unannounced visits as required;
  9. Organise equipment as required;
  10. Update Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure on members of the family every three years, including those reaching sixteen years of age, and other persons who come to live at the home, who are sixteen or over;
  11. Update medicals on the carers as necessary;
  12. Discuss how the carers can support young people into adulthood;
  13. Let the social worker for a child already in placement know when another child is placed;
  14. Record contact with carers;
  15. Provide reports for Panel when linking, updating, extending use and inform Panel of significant changes;
  16. Contribute to Court Reports as agreed with child’s social worker;
  17. If the carer is also a childminder, liaise with OFSTED regarding approval and notify of any Child Protection allegations, concerns, etc.;
  18. Use ‘Foster Carer’s Registration’ Form to notify change of worker/address/approval/end of caring, and send to Placement Service Manager’s Administrator;
  19. Send carer a Christmas/appropriate religious card on behalf of the Department;
  20. Follow procedure in Altering the Approval of a Foster Carer and Exemptions Procedure where an exemption is required.


7. Tasks of Family Placement Social Worker at End of Placement

When any placement ends, the family placement social worker has a responsibility to ensure that a period of reflection is provided to celebrate and note the successes and learn from mistakes and deal with any issues of loss.

If an unplanned termination of the placement occurs, the family placement social worker should:

  1. Support the family as much as possible in what can be a very difficult time;
  2. Discuss fully, with the carer and their family, all the issues that have led to the end of placement and identify any learning/training opportunities;
  3. Attend a Disruption Meeting if one is held – see Disruption Meetings (Foster/Residential Placements) Procedure.


8. Tasks of Family Placement Social Worker if Allegations are made against the Carer

For the detailed procedure, see Complaints, Allegations or Concerns about Standards of Care in Relation to Foster Carers and Members of their Household Procedure

Where allegations regarding childcare or child protection are made, the family placement social worker should:

  1. Support the family;
  2. Discuss fully, with the carer and their family, all the issues that have led to the allegation;
  3. Make the carers aware of the process and of their rights during it;
  4. Make the carer’s aware of the family placement social worker’s possible conflict of interests and advise them to seek independent support from the local Carer Coordinator and the Fostering Network Advice and Mediation Officer.

End