Form 1. August 2011
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Family Health & Wellbeing Department
Assessment Report Regulation 24
Relative or friend of a child or connected person as temporary
approved foster carer, pending full approval,for a named child
Fostering Services Regulations 2010, 2011
Compiled by a supervising social worker
Procedural Guidance30.6: Potential relative/friend/connected person should be provided with information about the assessment process, so they know what is expected of them, how they will be assessed, including the criteria that will be used, how particular issues for family and friends foster carers will be addressed. Explain the support offered during the process.
30.4: Where a family and friends foster carer is temporarily approved as a foster carer under Regulation 24 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations, 2010, a full assessment is completed as soon as practicable, where the intention is for the child to stay with the carer and always within the statutory timeframe set out in the Regulations, 2011.
When can a child be placed with a relative or friend or connected person?
Regulation 24 provides that - where a local authority is satisfied that the immediate placement of a child is necessary - it may place the child with a person who is not a foster carer but is a relative or friend or connected person of the child.
Who is defined as a relative or friend or connected person?
A connected person means a relative (Section 105 Children Act, 1989, as amended by Section 75 of the Civil Partnership Act, 2004), friend of or other person connected with the looked after child (teacher/youthworker), where there is a pre-existing relationship.
Prior to placing a child with a family member, friend or connected person of the child, thesocial workers must:
- Be satisfied that the placement is the most suitable means to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare.
- Interviewthe household members and obtain PC1’s prior to CRB checks.
- Inspect the accommodation and make sure that it is suitable with no identified hazards.
- Obtain information about all adults and children living in the household, including all statutory checks.
- Make a written emergency agreement with the carer that s/he will -
-Care for the child as if s/he were a member of the family
-Permit any person authorised by the Department to visit the child at any time
-Allow the child to be removed at any time where the Department considers the placement is no longer suitable or is detrimental to the child’s welfare
-Not disclose to anyone any information in connection with the placement that is given confidentially by the Department
-Allow contact by persons named in any agreement with the Department or in accordance with any court order
- Obtain a relevant court order or placement consent from each person with parental responsibility
- Be satisfied that no-one in the family or extended family poses a significant risk to the child
The Authority’s Case Decision Form satisfies all the necessary requirements prior to an emergency placement and should be completed and signed by the worker and relevant Head of Service in all cases.
How long can a child be placed with a family member, friend or connected person?
The placement can continue subject to the successful completion of the assessment to temporarily approve a connected person (Regulation 24.1) they may be immediately approved as a local authority foster carer for a period not exceeding 16 weeks.
3.88: these circumstances are either where the approval process has taken longer than anticipated (approval can be extended for a further eight weeks) Regulation 26. OR where the connected person has not been approved following the assessment process and seeks a review of the decision through the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). If the IRM route is sought, approval will continue until the outcome of the review is known.
When the time period expires and the placement is not approved in accordance with the 2002 Regulations, the Authority must arrange for an alternative placement and remove the child (Regulation 25.6).
Duties during the initial sixteen week placement period
Regulation 24 requires that during this period the child must be visited at least once a week and seen alone, unless the child – being of sufficient age and understanding – refuses to be seen. Weekly visits are required until the first statutory review, subsequently no more than an interval of 4 weeks. Social workers should however bear in mind that inability to gain access and visit a child alone has been cited as dangerous practice and in breach of the Authority’s duty of care to looked after children. In all cases, the social worker should make every effort to see the child. These visits should form part of the assessment.
Within the timescales of the placement, thechild’s social worker should have:
- Consulted the permanency advisor and identified the best options for permanence for the child
Permanence options will include one or more of these -
- Return home with a support plan where needed
- Longer term placement in foster care, with the relative/friend/connected person with whom the child is currently placed or with other approved foster carers
- Placement until 18 years with the relative/friend/connected person with whom the child has been placed or with another family member, friend or connected person, by virtue of a residence or special guardianship order
- Adoption
The Authority’s Permanence policy states ‘Permanence is achieved when a child belongs legally to the family in which he or she lives and is the best way of ensuring that children have secure, stable and loving families to support them throughout childhood and beyond’. Planning for permanence should be a continuous process that begins when an immediate placement is made and continues so long as the child remains looked after.
Arranging a meeting with the Permanence Advisor can assist with consideration of possible permanence options within the wider family and any practical matters. The permanence option (including any parallel or contingency plan) which is most likely to meet the child’s needs while growing into adulthood should be set out in the permanence plan for the child to be considered at the four month statutory review.- Obtained and recorded all the information required by the Assessment Report: Children’s Needs (in the main, transferable from the core assessment).
- Spent time with the child, listening to his/her concerns and offering age appropriate information about why the placement was made and what the options are for the future. For many children, especially younger children, this should be in the form of structured play / activity sessions aimed at sharing information and ascertaining their wishes and feelings about being separated from their parents and, where relevant, siblings and others and about the placement that is being planned. The views of the parents and others with parental responsibility must be obtained before a placement is made.
Within sixteen weeks of the placement, the fostering team should have completed the full Assessment Report: Relative/Friend/Connected Person of a Child as Prospective Foster Carer with a view to full approval as foster carers.
Prior to the meeting of the fostering panel
The child’s social worker and fostering team worker should collaboratively have completed all paperwork and submitted to the panel administrator. The panel administrator will advise on the time and date of the panel. It is essential the social workers attend the fostering panel.
The teams should agree who is to present the reports to panel and who is to arrange transport and support of the child and/or carers where they are attending the panel meeting for approval.
NB:There is some repetition in regard to information in the mandatory fields Form 2. It would be prudent to discuss the assessment process with the friends and family fostering team to gather and collaborate this information.
Note to assessors: Simmonds (2011) Simmons J Special Guardianship Practice Guidance. London BAAF states:
Assessments need to combine 4 elements:
- To be conducted in the spirit of enquiry.
- To be conducted in the spirit of partnership.
- To focus on the child, their needs, development and positive outcomes.
- They need to be written with authority, evidence and analysis.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Children’s Services Department
Assessment Report: Supervising Social Worker
Relative, friend or connected person of a child as
temporary approved foster carer for that child
Form F & F (2)
Fostering Services Regulations 2011Full Approval
Regulation 24(1) Fostering Regulations 2010 (27 & 28)
Part 1. Outline details of the proposed fostering family and the children being placed
Household address: / Date of placement:Date of 16 weeks:
Agency decision for temporary approval:
Yes No
Adults in the household:
Name of principal carer: / M/F: / DOB: / Ethnicity: / Relationship with the child:Name of principal carer’s partner: / M/F: / DOB: / Ethnicity: / Relationship with the child:
Marital status:
Names of other adults (18+) in the household: / M/F: / DOB: / Ethnicity: / Relationship with the child:
1
2
3
Children of the principal carer:
Name: / M/F: / DOB: / Ethnicity: / Address (or with whom living if not living in household)1
2
3
4
Children of the principal carer’s partner:
Name: / M/F: / DOB: / Ethnicity: / Address (or with whom living if not living in household)1
2
3
4
Other children (not listed above and excluding children being placed) living in the household:
Name: / M/F: / DOB: / Ethnicity: / Relationship with the carers and with the child(ren) being placed:1
2
3
Children being placed:
Name: / M/F: / DOB: / Ethnicity: / Relationship with other child(ren) being placed:1
2
3
4
Details of any individuals who are regular visitors to the household:
The family members or who have regular contact with the children placed?
Name: / M/F: / Age: / Ethnicity: / Relationship with the carers and with the child(ren) being placed:1
2
3
How will this be managed/supervised?
Genogram / Family tree
Including all adults and children named above
Eco map showing children’s and family’s key social and community networks
Chronology of significant changes or family circumstances
For example separation, death of a family member, start of a new relationship, birth of a child, major health events. This information is included in Form 2 as a mandatory field. Check with Placing Social Worker form relevant information.
Date: / Event: / Impact on child(ren):Part 2. Assessment of suitability
Overview of the case
Description of the applicant and their personality
Why do the carer(s) want to care for the child(ren)?
Is this viewed as a short/long term placement? Include the length, nature and quality of the relationship with each child. What is your analysis of the placement?
Does each child/young person living in the household feel s/he has been consulted and had his/her views taken into account, age-appropriately, in respect of the proposed placement?
Name: / Who ascertained his/her views? / Was s/he consulted on his/her own? / What are his/her views?How will the proposed placement impact on the household’s present routines and activities? How are things done in the home and what needs to change to accommodate the child’s needs?
Employment and occupation history of principal carer (including months and years)Job title:
(starting with current/most recent) / Name and address of employer:
If the principal carer is currently employed/self employed, what arrangements are proposed for the care of each child in respect of daily living, school holidays and childhood ailments?
Do the carers have enough flexibility in their present commitments to be able to meet the child’s wider needs (e.g. school sports days etc)
30 (5): When assessing the individual’s suitability to be a relative/friend/connected person, the likely length of placement, the age of the child, the wishes and feelings and any concerns of the child, if appropriate, the capacity of the wider family to contribute to the child’s long-term care are taken into account.
NB: check care plan and legal permanence.
Describe each applicant’s relationship with their own parents and siblings:
i.e. family history, strengths and difficulties of these relationships
How have these experiences impacted on the applicants parenting capacity?
Which parts of the caring role, if any, are the carers anxious about?
What supports do the carers identify they need to help with their caring role?
What opportunities will the carers have to maintain time for themselves and for any activities they wish to pursue?
How might the placement affect the carers’ relationship with each other?
How might the placement affect the carers’ relationships with others in the household?
How might the placement affect the carers’ relationships with others in the family, including the child(ren)’s parents and others with parental responsibility?
How do the carers plan to manage any family tensions in ways that promote the child’s welfare and placement stability?
If the children have a child protection plan, are there any particular safeguards needed for this placement?
Has a safer caring agreement been made with the prospective carer and all household members?
YesNo
(Attach where relevant)
What contact arrangements for the child(ren) are planned? How do these accord with any safer caring agreement?
Have the carers had experience of caring for own, and/or other children?
Use the Every Child Matters Agenda
AnalysisWhat do the prospective carers know of the child’s behaviour and background and any concerns they have about the child? What information has been given by the child’s social worker?
Attach any information as above in respect of each additional child being placed if appropriate
How do the carers describe their educational achievements and learning backgrounds? Are there any specific learning difficulties or disability? How would they support the children’s education and learning?
Have the carers been given the website details (or printed downloads) from:
/helping your child to learn
YesNo
Has a financial support assessment been completed? If yes, what has been agreed? Outgoings and income, is there any shortfall?(Include monthly/weekly income/state benefits/incomes from other resources, mortgages/rent payments, debts, loans and other significant expenditure.)
How will caring for these children impact on the carers finances?
Part 3. Further details and checks in respect of the household, the proposed carers and other adult household members.
Marital and partnership status of principal carer:
(Include current and any previous marriages, civil partnerships and cohabiting relationships.)
Partner’s name / Nature of partnership / In respect of previous relationships, reasons for, and date of relationship endingDescription of applicant’s present relationship including strengths and vulnerabilities:
Is there any current/history of domestic violence? Please include past relationship history.
Analysis of this informationEthnic and cultural profile of the principal carer
How does the principal carer describe his/her ethnic identity and culture?
What are the principal carer’s first and second languages?
What language is usually spoken in the household?
How will the carers support each child’s ethnic and cultural identity?
How will the carers arrange for the child to communicate in his/her chosen language or, where relevant, by signing?
Faith and religious life
Do the carers place importance on a faith or spiritual life?
Yes/No / Details:
How will the carers support each child in respect of the child’s current or chosen faith/ spiritual practice?
How will the carers support the choice of a child not to follow a particular faith or spiritual practice?
Accommodation – include an evaluation of the home environment
Health and safety: See attached Health & Safety Checklist & Risk Assessment
See National Minimum Standards 10.6 regarding bedroom space
Will each child have own bedroom? Describe the sleeping arrangements in all bedrooms.
Yes/No / If no, which children/children & adults will share bedrooms:
Has a case decision form been signed?
Yes/No
Are there plans to provide each child with own bedroom?
Yes/No / If yes, give details of plan and anticipated completion:
Is the locality suited to meeting the welfare and safety needs of the child?
Yes/No / Ethnic composition:
Transport:
Schools:
Leisure activities:
Note: The Code of Practice allied to the UK National Standards (good practice standards) states in respect of family and friends carers “some discretion is appropriate in relation to the normal physical expectations of a foster home:
For example, “in allowing less bedroom space ..”