APPENDIX 10 – AfC Permanency Policy
Together and Apart Assessment:
Assessing Siblings for Permanent Placements and Contact
State name, professional qualifications, and summary of relevant social work experience.
I commenced my employment with Achieving for Children as a Social Worker on (insert date) and am based in the (insert team name) Team.
I have been the allocated social worker for (insert children’s name) since (insert date).
Core Sibling Group
Names of all siblings, dates of birth
Characteristics of each of the children
Please include for each child
- Position within sibling group, if full or half sibling
- Physical description of child.
- Description of child’s personality
- Description of child’s like, hobbies and interests.
- School, and educational attainment / performance.
- Does the child have any special needs / health issues.
- Current contact arrangements with siblings.
The children’s expressed views around their placements and contact
For each child please include:
- The child’s preference for with who they wish to live with.
- The child’s views about contact with their parents.
- The child’s view / wishes about the current and future level of contact they want with siblings.
- The child’s view / wishes about future contact;who they consider important to them (significant adults)
Contact observations by Social Worker and the children’s attachment and relationship with each other
Social Worker direct observation of the interaction between the siblings. Please include;
- Dates of observations
- Behaviours of children towards each other / observations on quality of interactions.
- What evidence is there of the children sharing?
- What evidence is there of reciprocity?
- Behaviours of children with / towards caregivers.
- Analysis on each child of interactions with each sibling.
- Additional information provided by contact supervisors / foster carers.
Context in which the relationship between siblings have developed
Give a summary around the history of care that each child received, and include
- Reasons for department’s intervention – concerns around the parenting the children have received.
- Each child’s placement history (birth family and LAC)
- Due to the history of previous caregiving received any reported significant difficulties in development. Note any observations of child’s attachment style.
- Any reported significant difficulties in relationships the child has experienced.
- Any reported history of sibling relationships, - i.e. intense sibling rivalry, older sibling acting as caregiver etc.
Conclusions and recommendations
For each child consider if it is in their individual best interests to be placed with a sibling, and if so which sibling/s and the reasoning for this decision.
Include any additional relevant information from expert reports.
Sibling Checklist 1
Child A………………………………………DoB:…………
Child B………………………………………DoB:………..
Behaviour of Child A to Child B
A) Defends or protects1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
B) Recognises sib’s distress and offers comfort
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
C) Accepts comfort from sib
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
D) Teaches or helps
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
E) Initiates play
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
F) Responds to overtures to play
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
G) Openly shows affection:
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
H) Misses sib when apart
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
I)Resolves conflict through age – appropriate reasoning
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
J) Annoys, irritates or teases
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
K) Shows hostility or aggression
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
L) Blames or attempts to get sibs into trouble
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
M) Behaviour sabotages efforts to meet other sib’s needs.
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
Sibling Checklist 2
Child A………………………………………DoB:…………
Child B………………………………………DoB:………..
Behaviour of Child B to Child A
A) Defends or protects1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
B) Recognises sib’s distress and offers comfort
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
C) Accepts comfort from sib
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
D) Teaches or helps
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
E) Initiates play
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
F) Responds to overtures to play
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
G) Openly shows affection:
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
H) Misses sib when apart
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
II)Resolves conflict through age – appropriate reasoning
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
J) Annoys, irritates or teases
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
K) Shows hostility or aggression
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
L) Blames or attempts to get sibs into trouble
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
M) Behaviour sabotages efforts to meet other sib’s needs.
1 Often
2 Sometimes
3 Never
Examples of this behaviour:
Sibling checklist 3
Interactions
1)What evidence is there of sharing;
Boisterous play:
Imaginative activities:
Rituals (e.g. bed or bath times):
Jokes and fun:
Secrets:
2)Are there marked differences between them in any of the following respects:
The roles they adopt:
Activities and interests:
Behaviour:
Personality:
Other:
3)What evidence is there of reciprocity e.g.
Pride in each other:
Praise and criticism:
Mutual help:
4)Do they model on each other e.g.
Think they look alike:
Imitate each other:
Emulate the qualities they like:
Unite in the face of problems:
Other:
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Version 1.3April 2016