Stockton-on-Tees

Private Fostering

Statement

2017 / 2019

STOCKTON-ON-TEES PRIVATE FOSTERING STATEMENT

Contents

AIMS & OBJECTIVES / 1
PRINCIPLES / 1
LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AND STANDARDS / 1
DEFINITION OF PRIVATE FOSTERING / 2
SOME EXAMPLES OF PRIVATE FOSTERING ARRANGEMENTS / 2
LOCAL AUTHORITIES DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS / 3
PROHIBITIONS POLICY / 4
LOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD / 5
DUTIES IN CHILDREN ACT 2004 / 5
TRAINING / 5
PUBLICITY / 6
ASSESSMENT / 6
ADVICE, INFORMATION & MONITORING / 6
PROCEDURES & PRACTICE GUIDANCE / 7
ANNUAL REPORT / 7

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STOCKTON-ON-TEES PRIVATE FOSTERING STATEMENT

AIMS & OBJECTIVES

Stockton Borough Council aim to ensure that: -

  • Where a Private Fostering arrangement takes place within the borough that the welfare and life chance benefits of the child are met.
  • Professionals, parents, carers, the general public and young people are aware of the notification requirements.

Children’s Services will achieve this by: -

  • Raising awareness of the requirement to notify the authority of Private Fostering arrangements.
  • Assessing prospective private foster carers and their families.
  • Supporting private foster carers and their families
  • Working in partnership with the child / young person, and appropriate professionals to safeguard the child / young person.
  • Adherence to National Minimum Standards.

PRINCIPLES

Stockton Borough Council Children’s Services work on the following principles: -

1.Child Focused

The child’s welfare, safety and needs are at the centre of the process. Children’s views wishes and feelings will be considered at all times.

All assessments of prospective carers will focus on their ability to meet the needs of any privately fostered children they are or may be privately fostering.

2.Partnership

All staff will work in partnership with parents, children, carers and their families, other professionals and agencies to ensure the most appropriate services are identified based on assessed need.

3.Anti-discriminatory Practice

All staff will respect human rights and will ensure that there is fair and equal access to services. The services provided will be free from discrimination, prejudice and racism.

LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AND STANDARDS

Stockton Borough Council Children’s Services work to the following framework and standards: -

  • National Minimum Standards for Private Fostering
  • Private Fostering Procedures - Stockton Borough Council (Children’s Services)
  • Children Act 1989
  • Children Act 2004
  • The Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regulations 2005
  • Disqualification from Caring for Children (England) Regulations 2002
  • Working Together 2015

DEFINITION OF PRIVATE FOSTERING

  • A privately fostered child is one who, being under the age of 16 (or under 18 if disabled), is cared for and accommodated by someone other than a parent or close relative. Under the Children Act 1989, a relative is defined as a grandparent, brother, sister, aunt and uncle (whether of the full blood or half blood or by affinity), and step parent.
  • A child is not privately fostered if the person caring for him has done so for fewer than 28 days and does not intend to do so for longer than that.
  • Privately fostered children are not looked after children in terms of section 22 of the Act, and local authorities are not involved in the making of such arrangements.
  • Private foster carers may be from the extended family such as a cousin or great aunt/uncle. They may also be a friend of the family or other non-relative.

SOME EXAMPLES OF PRIVATE FOSTERING ARRANGEMENTS

The following are examples of Private Fostering arrangements:

  • A mother falls ill and asks a neighbour to care for her children in the neighbour’s home whilst she is in hospital and this stay extends beyond 28 days.
  • A family agree for their child’s 15 year old friend to stay for a while (28+ days) after she had an argument with her parents.
  • A 17 year old with a learning disability is reported to have gone to live with a 30 year old man.

The following examples are not Private Fostering arrangements (but may still require services under section 17 Children Act 1989):

  • A child’s parents are killed in a car accident and the child goes to live with her mother’s brother’s wife (aunt by marriage).
  • Following an argument with parents a 14 year old child goes to live with a 22 year old half brother.

The following are common situations where children may be privately fostered:

  • African and African Caribbean children with parents overseas
  • Black and minority ethnic children with parents working or studying in the UK
  • Asylum Seekers and Refugees
  • Parental ill health
  • Trafficked children
  • Local children living apart from their families
  • Adolescents and teenagers estranged from their families
  • Children attending language schools
  • Children living with host families for a variety of reasons
  • Children brought in from abroad with a view to adoption

LOCAL AUTHORITIES DUTIES & FUNCTIONS

Local authorities do not formally approve or register private foster carers. However, it is the duty of local authorities to satisfy themselves that the welfare of children who are privately fostered within their area is satisfactorily safeguarded and promoted.

Stockton Borough Council use the following process to assess the suitability of a Private Fostering Arrangement:

Stockton Children’s Services has a designated Private Fostering Officer who is also the Service ManagerEarly Help. The designated Private Fostering Officer gives advice and guidance to Social Workers and Team Managers about private fostering and private fostering assessments.

Stockton Borough Council has oversight of the assessment and decision making process through the Scrutiny Panel to satisfy itself that the outcomes are in the best interests of the child.

PROHIBITIONS POLICY

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council operates a clear policy around permanence for children. Whilst private fostering may not always be a long-term arrangement, the objective of permanence planning is to ensure that wherever possible, children grow up within a family which offers continuity of care and relationships and where the child’s needs are promoted.

Achieving permanence for a child will be a key consideration in working with children in need and their families in the community and working with any child who becomes looked after within Stockton, or who becomes privately fostered.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council believes that children need:

  • A family of their own to help them develop a positive sense of identity.
  • Opportunities to make secure attachments.
  • Emotional and physical security and stability
  • Continuity of significant caring relationships which can be expected to last for life.
  • Enhanced self-esteem, which comes from knowing their family history and culture.
  • A well-founded plan, which balances the short and long term, needs of the child.
  • A plan, which is executed with the minimum of delay.

This authority acknowledges that intervening in a child’s life and making decisions on their behalf may well have life-long implications for them and their families.

In order to ensure that the decisions reached are in the child’s best interest, we are committed to working in partnership with the child and their parents/carers and any others who know the child well or have significant information to share.

However, if a private foster carer is assessed as being unsuitable to provide care for a child, and where imposing requirements is insufficient to address concerns (or where imposed requirements are not adhered to by the private foster carer), then prohibition of the arrangement will be considered. The decision to issue a prohibition will be taken at a legal meeting involving the assessing Social Worker, Team Manager, Local Authority Private Fostering Officer, and a legal representative. The Scrutiny Panel will have oversight of the assessment process, and will consider all cases including those where a decision has been made to issue a prohibition notification.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council will take all necessary steps in these circumstances to ensure the immediate and continuing needs of the child are met and that his/her well-being is safeguarded, by working with parents (and those with parental responsibility) to identify alternative care arrangements if required. This will include, if necessary, a consideration to accommodate the child in local authority care under section 20 Children Act 1989, or to take Immediate action under section 47 Children Act 1989.

LOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD

One of the functions of Local Safeguarding Children Board in relation to their objectives (as defined in section 14(1) of the Children Act 2004 and The Local Safeguarding Children Boards Regulations 2005), is to the safety and welfare of children who are privately fostered. Within Stockton, operational and strategic links will be enhanced via liaison between the Private Fostering Officer and Stockton Local Safeguarding Children BoardBusiness Manager, to ensure the safety and well being of children who are or are proposed to enter a Private Fostering arrangement.

DUTIES IN CHILDREN ACT 2004

The Children Act 2004 included amendments to the Children Act 1989 which Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council will comply with.

The amendments are: -

  • Section 44 of the Children Act 2004 – amendments to the notification scheme
  • Local authority duties under s.67 (1) and (5) of the Children Act 1989 are extended to include children who are proposed to be privately fostered.
  • The duty under 67(1) to secure that such advice is given to those caring for privately fostered children as appears to the local authority to be needed is extended to include all those concerned with a child who is proposed to be, or who is, privately fostered as appears to the Local Authority to be needed.
  • Local authorities are required to promote awareness in their area of requirements as to notification
The Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regulations 2005

The Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regulations 2005 require local authorities to satisfy themselves of the suitability of a proposed arrangement before it commences (where advance notice is given).

The replacement regulations also require local authorities to monitor their compliance with all their duties and functions in relation to private fostering and places a duty on them to appoint an officer for this purpose. In Stockton-on-Tees this is the Service Manager Early Help.

TRAINING

Awareness raising is a key component in being able to identify actual and planned arrangements, workshops have been developed for all staff who may come across Private Fostering arrangements. The training previously has consisted of two main strands of work which this year have been reviewed the outcome is to change the method of delivery this will be as follows:

  1. Partner Agencies – regular training workshops have been offered for a number of years but a revised delivery model has now been put in place and this will continue to be made available. If partners require information, support or advice on this issue they can gain information from Stockton Council website, advice and support from the Children’s Hub or the Private Fostering Officer.
  1. Single-Agency Training – in-house training will continue but the method of delivery will be on a team by team basis in addition the Private Fostering Officer attends the Operational Development Monthly Meeting with Service Managers and Team Managers and will keep them updated on any issues. The Private Fostering Officer can also offer 1 to 1 sessions when required.

PUBLICITY

A Private Fostering Communications Strategy has been developed and is reviewed every year. Included within the strategy is; the production and dissemination of leaflets and posters, media coverage e.g. Stockton News which is sent to every household within the borough, social media strategy, Council Intranet.The Communications Team release monthly media information using a variety of channels.

The Private Fostering Statement and Communications Strategy documents are made available to staff and the public via the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council website.

ASSESSMENT

Assessment and recording relating to Private Fostering Arrangements will be in line with assessments undertaken for any Child in Need and will be subject to the same caseload supervision procedures.

ADVICE, INFORMATION AND MONITORING

The advice and information provided will not only be on the Councils Website but feature on other linked facilities e.g. Stockton Information Directory.

In line with the Private Fostering Communications Strategy the materials used will be reviewed bi-annually and satisfaction surveys will be carried out to facilitate continuous improvement.

Statistical information will be presented in the Private Fostering Officers Annual Report detailing:

a) Number of privately fostered children living in the borough

b) Number of new notifications

c) Age and gender of those children who have been Privately Fostered in the year.

Following on from the social work assessment if it is found that the proposed arrangements would not be appropriate for the child, their parents will be offered advice, support and or referral to another agency to enable them to make alternative arrangements for the care of their child. In addition, parents will be advised on attachment issues and the desirability to keep siblings together if possible, unless a child had particular needs that should be met separately. If necessary, Stockton will impose requirements or prohibition under The Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regulations 2005. Stockton will take additional action as required to ensure the needs of the child are met, and could include services under section 17 Children Act 1989, accommodation under section 20 Children Act 1989, or immediate action to safeguard the child under section 47 Children Act 1989.

PROCEDURES & PRACTICE GUIDANCE

Robust procedure and practice guidance is available to all staff in Children’s Services.

ANNUAL REPORT

The Private Fostering Officer will provide the Stockton-on-Tees Local Children’s Safeguarding Board with an annual report detailing how the authority has complied with its duties and functions in relation to Private Fostering during the preceding year.

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