FOSTER CARER

RECORDING

Policy on Responsibilities and
Suggestions for Good Practice

May 2016

Contents

Introduction 2

Legal Position 3

Why Keep Records? 4

Key Records You Should Keep 5

What Do You Do With the Record 7

Effective Recording 7

Appendix 1: Daily Recording for Carers 9

Appendix 2: Weekly Recording 10

Appendix 3: Parent & Child Daily Recording 11

Appendix 4: Serious Incidents Notification Form 13

Introduction

This policy is about foster carer’s recording. Foster carers are required to keep records about the children they look after and this policy lays out guidelines so that everyone knows what is expected.

We hope to help foster carers to improve their recording practice by providing clear and consistent expectations for record keeping.

Legal Framework for Recording

Standard 26 of the Fostering National Minimum Standards 2011 concerns record keeping.

·  Records are clear, up to date, stored securely and contribute to an understanding of the child’s life

Standard 4.5 of The Training and Development Standards for Foster carers (TSD) describes the principle of keeping good records and says foster carers should:

·  Understand the importance of keeping accurate records

·  Know how to record understandable, relevant, clear and concise, factual information which can be checked

·  Know how to enable young people to participate in record keeping

Record keeping is also part of the Foster Care Agreement which foster carers sign annually.

The Data Protection Act 1998 covers what information we can record, store and share about individuals. It states that personal information must:

·  Be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully

·  Be held only for lawful purposes

·  Be used or disclosed only for these or comparable reasons

·  Be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose for which they are held

·  Be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date

·  Be held no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which they are held

·  Be able to allow individuals to access information held about them and where appropriate correct or erase it

·  Be surrounded by proper security

Under this Act, foster carers who receive a ‘reward’ or ‘payment’ are considered to be Social Care ‘staff’ and their recording is treated as part of the Social Care record. They would therefore be included in any request by a service user to see their Social Care record. Others who have right of access to foster carers records, including foster carer diary and daily log entries, are officers of the court, such as Guardians.

A child or young person may request to see their records, but parents do not have an automatic right of access to written information on their children, unless it is in the child’s best interest for them to see.

Ø  IF YOU ARE ASKED BY A CHILD TO SEE INFORMATION YOU HOLD ABOUT THEM, SPEAK TO YOUR FOSTERING SOCIAL WORKER OR THE CHILD’S SOCIAL WORKER FOR ADVICE.

Why Keep Records?

There are many good reasons for keeping records. For example information in your head can be forgotten, or you may remember it wrongly or tell it differently each time you share it with another person. Also, it will not be available for future reference when a child or young person has moved on.

As a professional carer, your records will be of benefit to all those involved with the placement but especially the child or young person you care for. Foster carers are required to:

·  Maintain history for the child or young person, which will be of use to them in later life

·  Monitor health, educational progress and social development

·  Contribute information to case conferences, planning or review meetings

·  Provide information to the courts for use in care proceedings, if requested

·  Record patterns of behaviour, such as before and after contact

·  Enable continuity of care by passing information to subsequent carers

·  Provide information to social workers to assist them in their duties and responsibilities in relation to the child

·  Be able to produce written reports based on observations

Last, but not least, record keeping not only protects and promotes the welfare of children in care, but can also safeguard foster family members from false allegations or complaints. Sometimes this can happen long after the child or young person has moved on. A good standard of record keeping will help in the recall of past circumstances and events and provides an essential source of evidence in any inquiry, investigation or court proceedings.

A diary is a way to record and coordinate appointments but it is not a child’s record.

Sometimes a young person can help to write their record. The foster carer can play an important supporting role in encouraging the child to reflect and understand their history. This is empowering and can lead to a growth in self esteem. There are times when this more open approach would not be appropriate because of the sensitive and confidential nature of the record.

Ø  IT IS IMPORTANT FOR BOTH FOSTER CARERS AND THE CHILD THAT CLEAR, ACCURATE AND UP TO DATE RECORDS ARE KEPT FOR EACH CHILD PLACED.

Key Records You Should Keep

It is the carer’s responsibility to assist in meeting the needs of individual children and young people by keeping a CONTINUING record of key events and issues that occur. Each child should have their own record.

At the placement planning meeting, there should be an agreement about how often foster carers should record. At the beginning of a placement it is likely to be daily. This may differ for each child. Foster carers should continue to record at the agreed frequency until the child’s social worker says that less detail is needed.

In the appendix to this policy, there are three different recording templates. One is for daily recording, one for monthly overviews and one for parent and child placements.

Here is a list of suggestions of what the foster carer should record; it is not exhaustive. You may think of other suggestions, or be asked to record other information by the child’s social worker.

v  A brief day to day record (snapshot of the day) which includes any break in routines (e.g. problems around mealtimes or bedtimes)

v  Improvements and achievements of the child—educational progress and attainment, social and emotional development and leisure activities

v  Your contact with school and attendance at consultations, sports days, etc

v  Details of any absences from school

v  Any comments made by the child that cause concern

v  Any changes or concerns in behaviour or mood, either good or bad. Include details of actual behaviour/mood observed, what was happening before it started, and your or anyone’s response to it

v  Any indication that the child may be being bullied or harassed

v  Any indication that the child is being racially abused

v  Any significant changes in the child’s health and any medication given, prescribed or otherwise, including any first aid administered

v  Dates and duration of illnesses

v  Medical or dental appointments and treatment or decisions

v  Any accidents or injuries, however slight. Include bruises, scratches, lumps, etc, noting how they happened, and any witnesses to the event

v  Visits from sitters or other care givers, friends, family members or others

v  Visits and telephone contact from the child’s relatives or friends, and the child’s responses or moods afterwards

v  Disagreements amongst household members and how they were resolved

v  Dates, times and whereabouts of the child if away from the foster home, both authorised and unauthorised, including staying with family or a friend, with a babysitter and ‘missing’

v  Requests for help or assistance, or when reporting information to others e.g. duty team, police, social worker, fostering social worker, medic etc

v  Dates of meetings and decisions

v  Contact with social worker, fostering social worker and other professionals

v  Details of any damage or theft by foster child

v  Any disciplinary measures or sanctions imposed

v  Incidents where physical restraint has been used

v  Involvement with police and any outcome

Please remember that significant incidents should be passed to the child’s social worker and fostering social worker without delay. Writing things down is not an alternative to informing the Department immediately of significant events. If you are in doubt about what circumstances you need to notify straight away, check with your fostering social worker.

There is a serious incident form for you to complete and send to your social worker to make sure all the important information is passed on. A serious incident form is in the appendix.

What Do You Do with the Record?

We prefer foster carers to record electronically and to send the recording in via Egress to the fostering social worker and the child’s social worker. These social workers will upload it on to the carer’s file and onto the child’s file. If carers are not confident in using this method, paper copies are acceptable. They should be handed to the fostering social worker who will scan them onto the system and send them to the child’s social worker.

Effective Recording

Ø  Keep all the information you hold in one (secure) place and maintain a separate file for each child you look after, including one file for each child of a sibling group. Electronic records should be password protected.

Ø  Use your diary for memos to yourself, and noting appointments, meetings, school holidays, visitors, celebration days, etc., NOT for recording.

Ø  Write your daily records on a log sheet with a separate one for each child.

Ø  Write down what has happened clearly and legibly and, whenever possible, on the same day so that it is fresh in your mind.

Ø  Always enter the date next to what you write.

Ø  Avoid using jargon.

Ø  Stick to the facts and avoid opinion. If you do give an opinion, explain why you have come to that particular opinion.

Ø  Qualify any facts or opinions by noting the source.

Ø  Make a note of any witnesses to an event.

Ø  What you record should be written in a way that you would be happy for the child or family to read.

Ø  Completing regular (monthly) summaries helps monitor the child’s progress and identifies action needed. Encouraging older children to summarise the month’s events with you provides a lot of opportunities to enhance self-awareness, esteem, negotiation and problem solving skills.

Separating Facts from Opinion

One of the most important skills in recording is distinguishing between facts and opinion. Whilst it is good advice to try and avoid opinion altogether, in practice this is not always possible.

Some things that need to be recorded are concrete facts, such as the date when a visit took place, or the time a young person returned home after being reported as missing. Other record entries will involve judgements and therefore opinions. The entry should make it absolutely clear what is fact and what is opinion, and who said what.

Finally...

This policy explains the basic standard expected of foster carers for every child in care. This guidance is intended to give you some general advice about good recording practice. There is a training programme called ‘Recording for Foster Carers’. If you require further advice or wish to attend the training, speak to your fostering social worker.

Appendix 1: Daily Recording for Foster Carers

Daily Recording Sheet

Name of Child/Young Person ______

Foster Carer ______

Fostering Social Worker ______

Date / Daily recording

Appendix 2: Weekly Recording for Foster Carers

Weekly Recording Sheet

To be used for recording in respect of individual children and young people only.

Child/young person’s name.……………………………………………………..

Child’s age/d.o.b………………………………………………………………..

Foster Carer’s name…………………………………………………………….

Period of recording: Week beginning…………………………………………

Medical. (Appointments -hospital visit, dentist, doctor, optician, school nurse etc. Illnesses, any medication, medical treatment, accidents or falls that result in significant bruising – Serious incident report form to be used.)
Date.
Education (Parents’ evenings, educational reviews, Virtual School contact, contact or correspondence from school/college, change of school/college, exclusions, detentions, commendations, awards, sports day, exam results and prom)

Date

/ .

Missing from Placement – contact with Police or EDT. Please complete serious incident form

Date

Contact. (Formal or informal and with which family members, telephone, mail, supervised or unsupervised, where, attitude to contact, response to contact. Any specific recording requirements to be made clear to foster carer by social worker for the child)

Date

Leisure. (Hobbies, clubs, activities, after school clubs social events with family and friends including going to friends’ houses and having friends round to foster carer’s home)
Date.
Behaviour. (Any incidents of significant behaviour, positive as well as challenging, any serious incidents to be recorded using the serious incidents report form and sent to fostering social worker, any incidents of bullying or being bullied,
Leaving Care /Work. (Contact with Over 11 team, pathway planning meetings, preparation for independence, employment or education.
Overall or additional comments.

Printed

FSW signature

Appendix 3: Parent and Child Placement Recording Sheet

Daily Recording Sheet Date: Side 1

Basic Care and Ensuring Safety: Including feeding, bathing, changing, bedtimes, washing up, preparing healthy meals, shopping, using stair gates and car seats/buggies, supervision of baby

Child Care:

Feeds:

Areas needing support:

Positives:

Emotional Warmth and Stimulation Including: spending positive time with baby, playing with baby, tone of voice, talking to baby, coping with crying and excitement.

Areas needing support:

Positives:

Guidance, Boundaries and Stability Including: developing daily routines, coping with crying and refusing to do things, settling baby in the night, planning ahead and budgeting, providing resources, learning to say no when appropriate, showing baby how to do things, consistency of care and interaction.

Areas needing support:

Positives:

Signed Date

Foster Carer ______

Parent ______

Supervising Social Worker ______

Daily Recording Sheet Date: Side 2