Introduction
This procedure outlines what social workers need to know about managing the records of a child in foster care or that has been moved to different foster carers. The duty board captures information of a “looked after child” accommodated, with an internal foster carer and records the movement of a child from one foster carer to another or to a permanent placement . The procedure will include how to request for a child to become looked after, how to register foster carers on the duty board, and how to manage and obtain statistics using the duty board.
SOCIAL WORKER- Requests for a child to become looked after via CRS
- Informs the Placements Team and Duty Fostering Social Worker if a change of placement has been requested so that the correct procedure is followed
- Complete a PIF and Payment Form for payments to the foster carer
- Update duty board
- Process PIF/ payment form for payments to Foster carer
FOSTERING DUTY SOCIAL WORKER
- Checks the details of the CLA referral and profile of the child in CRS to determine where the child should be placed
- Contact the carer and if agreed for the child to be placed with them the social worker of the child will be informed
- Follow up with the social worker to ensure that the child was placed
Contents
- Statistics
- Request for a Child to Become Looked After/Change of Placement/Respite
- Carer’s details/Duty Board
- Reg 24 Placements
- Respite Carers
- Colour Coding
- Children Only
- Closed Children
- Foster Register
1.Statistics
The Duty Board captures information of a “looked after child” accommodated, with aninternal foster carer– this records the movement of a child from one foster carer to another or to a permanent placement. The occupancy rate is calculated on the information recorded which forms part of management reporting
2.Request for a Child to Become Looked After/Change of
Placement/Respite
All requests for a child to become looked after have to come via CRS this includes any requests for a change of placement or a request for respite for a child whether they are accommodated with an in-house foster carer or external carer.
SSWs and SWs have a duty to inform the Placements Team and Duty Fostering Social Worker if a change of placement has been requested so that the correct procedure is followed in the referral being made via CRS and that protocol around disruption meetings and Panel decisions if applicable are met.
SSWs are not permitted to arrange placement moves or respite placements (see 5. below) without notification to the Placements Team/Duty Fostering Social Worker in the first instance. This is to avoid children being moved without prior agreement and to ensure that payments to foster carers are up to date.
3. Carers Details/Duty Board
The Fostering Duty Social Worker will check the details of the CLA referral and profile of the child in CRS to determine where the child should be placed.The DutyBoard is then checked to see availability of a suitable carer.
The Fostering Duty Social Worker will contact the carer and if agreed for the child to be placed with them the social worker of the child will be informed.
The Fostering Duty Social Worker will follow up with the social worker to ensure that the child was placed. Upon confirmation a PIF and Payment Form will be completed.
The Duty Board will be updated by the Duty Social Worker/\Duty Business Support Officer (BRT).
If no internal carers are sourced for the child a request for “sign-off” will be made to the Delivery Manager (Fostering and Business Relationships Team). If “sign-off” is agreed then a search with an IFA external provider will be undertaken – the referral is then picked up by the Placements Team.
It is important to note the following:
- A child cannot appear on the Duty Board in multiple places
- If a Carer has a vacancy the cell must be highlighted in Green and the word “VACANCY” recorded in the cell
- Any Vacancy that is identified/reserved for a future placement, the VACANCY cell should be highlighted in red and a comment added to the comments field stating when and who is to be placed with that Carer and until when.
- If a placement is blocked, the blocked cell must be highlighted in Grey and the word “BLOCKED” recorded in the cell
- All blocked placements should be agreed by the appropriate Unit Manager and Delivery Manager (Fostering and Business Relationships Team) – with the exception of respite placements (please see 5. Below) and fostering register (see 9. Below)
- Placement cells are to indicate only VACANCY, BLOCKED and the name of the child placed (Unaccompanied Minors have (UMT) recorded against their name in brackets. Comments are not to be added to any placement cells they are to be added to the Comments cell only.
- All placements against a Carer must have the following inserted in the cell as a comment by right clicking over the cell and selecting “insert comment box” – the box must have recorded the CRS No.; Ethnicity; DOB; BLA date; DOP (date of placement)
- Any resigned or deregistered carers must be removed at the end of the 28 day notice period and placed in the “CLOSED” worksheet
- All children recorded on the Duty Board should also be updated on the “CHILDREN’s ONLY” worksheet
4. Reg 24 Carers/Payments
All Reg 24 Carers are to be recorded on the Duty Board (under worksheet titled “REG 24 Placements”
Notification of a Reg 24 Assessment should be notified to the Fostering Duty Social Worker/Duty Business Support Officer by way of the payment form (from the SSW carrying out the Assessment) and via an email from the Unit Managers (Fostering) – once received details of the Reg 24 Carer, along with the Child’s name, CRS no. will be recorded under worksheet “REG 24 Placements” as above
All Reg 24 Carers should have their link worker assigned to them and all assessed Reg 24 Carers should be linked to the Unit Manager, Fostering Recruitment & Assessment.
If any Reg 24 Carers resign, are deregistered or are granted an SGO/RO (Special Guardianship Order/Residence Order) then the details of the carer and the child should be removed from the worksheet “REG 24 Placements” and placed in the “Closed REG 24” Worksheet
It is important that a payment form is completed when a Reg24 placement starts or stops
5. Respite Carers
Any respite arrangements are to be requested via the Fostering Duty Social Worker so an appropriate respite carer can be sourced. It is the responsibility of the SSW for the carer requesting respite and/or the child’s SW to notify the Fostering Duty Social Worker of such requests, this is to ensure that a PIF and the necessary payment form is completed to cover the respite period. The SSW can assist in sourcing a respite carer but negotiation with the Fostering Duty Social Worker must be made prior to this taking place.
When a child is placed for respite, the main carer with whom the child is placed with is blocked (in grey) on the Duty Board and a comment is made against that carer confirming the dates that the carer will be away. The carer who is providing the respite will have the child recorded against them on the Duty Board with the child’s name and in brackets (respite) again a comment will be made against the respite carer indicating the dates applicable for respite.
The reason why the main carer will be blocked and the respite carer having the child recorded against them is to avoid a child being recorded in two placements which can have an effect on the weekly statistics. It is important that when the respite has ended that the child is then recorded back against their main carer.
6. Colour Coding
The Duty Board is colour coded indicating the ethnicity of a Carer as follows:-
Colour / RepresentsWhite (no fill) / White British
Light Orange / African
Orange / Caribbean
Gold / Asian
Light Green / White & Black partnership
Terracotta / Indian
Brown / Latin American
Light Pink / Any other White Background
7. Children Only
The Duty Board records all “Looked After Children” who have been placed and the demographics of that child. Any child recorded on the Duty Board must also be recorded on the worksheet “CHILDRENs only”
8. Closed Children
When a child/young person has been moved or returned home, not in care anymore or over 18 this record is closed on the Duty Board and is also recorded in the worksheet “CHILDREN only”
A payment form has to be completed to ensure payments are stopped (within 24hrs of the child leaving) – the SSW for the Carer has the responsibility to complete the payment form and must arrange sign off by the appropriate Unit Manager (Fostering) and monitored by the Duty Business Support Officer who will then update the Duty Board accordingly.
9. Foster Register
Newly approved Foster Carers are notified to the Duty Business Support Officer via the Fostering Panel Secretary. The details of the Carer are recorded on the Duty Board but remain Blocked (Grey) until their undertaking has been carried out and they are confirmed as taking a placement – a comment needs to be put in the comments box confirming that the carer is newly approved and remains blocked until the undertaking has been completed. The SSW is responsible for ensuring that the Duty Business Support Officer (BRT) is notified when the new approved carer can accept placements.
The Foster Register is to be completed once a newly approved foster carer has been recorded on the Duty Board and the allocated SSW is responsible for ensuring the data within the Foster Register is up to date and completed in full – requests for data to be updated must made in writing by email to the Duty Business Support Officer detailing approval dates/annual review dates etc. Telephone requests for Duty Board updates will not be acceptable.
SSW’s have the responsibility to email the Duty Business Support Officer with any changes that need to be made to the Duty Board for their allocated cases – verbal changes will not be accepted.
The Duty Board is updated and saved at any time throughout the day. The Duty Business Support Officer is responsible for ensuring that a copy of the Duty Board is saved at the end of the day in Sharepoint.