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Contents

1. Responding to Requests for Information
2. Initial Contact with Applicants and Criteria for Foster Carers
3. Preparation Groups
4. Assessment
5. Personal References
6. Portfolio and Profile
7. Presentation to the Fostering Panel
8. After the Fostering Panel's Recommendation
9. Representations Procedure
10. After the Approval
11. Register of Foster Carers
12. Case Files and Organisation

1. Responding to Requests for Information

In relation to every request received, a record will be kept containing the following information:

• Full name, date of birth, address and telephone number;
• Date of request;
• Brief details including the source of interest.

All requests for information made by telephone or letter will be acknowledged as soon as possible.

An information pack with covering letter is sent to enquirers giving details of the next information session. Potential applicant are given a choice of attending an information session in the first instance or if preferred a Home visit from a Social Worker. Where possible potential applicants will receive an initial phone acknowledgement from the recruiting Social Worker.

2. Initial Contact with Applicants and Criteria for Foster Carers

Following the information session, an appointment is made for a member of the Fostering Team to visit those who wish to go forward. Their application and Home circumstances are discussed and a pro-forma is completed; there is an electronic template format for Initial Home Visit to Prospective Foster Carer(s).

Prior to the first visit, a check will be made to see if the prospective applicant is known to Children’s Social Care Services.

Social Workers will write up their home visit to prospective applicants and input the details into CareFirst. The relevant Practice Manager decides whether a prospective applicant should be invited to a Preparation Group. If the Social Worker has concerns about a potential applicant these will be discussed with a Practice Manager who will decide whether the applicant should be counselled out or allowed to proceed.

Monthly statistics will be kept by the Fostering Service of the number of enquiries made and the outcomes of these enquiries.

In considering applications to foster, all applicants will be judged against the competencies needed to foster as set out in the Fostering Network Form.

Marital Status

Applications will be considered from married couples, unmarried couples or single people. In the case of couples, there is no minimum requirement on the length of the marriage. In all cases however, the Panel will need to be satisfied about the stability of the relationship.

Religion

Applications will be considered from people of any or no religious persuasion.

Race

Applications will be considered from people of any race or culture

Age

The minimum age for foster Carers is 21 years. There is no set maximum age, and applicants’ suitability will depend on the type of resource they are offering. In normal circumstances foster Carers will be expected to retire at age 70, and applicants aged 68 or over will not be deemed suitable.

Sex

Application will be considered from people of either sex.

Sexuality

Applications will be considered from people of any sexuality.

Employment

Applicants do not need to be in part or full-time employment and no one will be excluded solely on the grounds that they are unemployed. If both applicants work full-time then consideration will need to be given to whether they have time to foster.

Health

All applicants will be required to have a full medical and undergo any further tests/checks that may be required by the agency’s medical adviser.

Where individual's smoke it will be necessary to assess how this would impact on children placed, and could mean that an applicant is not suitable to foster. Brighton & Hove City Council & NHS Children & Young People’s Trust current policy should be followed.

Criminal Convictions

Anyone who has been cautioned or convicted of an offence against or involving a child, including a specified offence under Schedule 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, will be precluded from fostering.

Other convictions will not necessarily preclude an application, but this will depend on the seriousness of the offence, how long ago it was committed and the context of the offence.

Employees

Brighton & Hove City Council & NHS Children & Young People’s Trust welcomes applications from employees who wish to foster; please see Council Employees who Foster Procedure.

The above policy applies to employees who are either applying to become a foster Carer or are already an approved foster Carer for the Trust or Barnardo’s Link Plus with the exception of:

• Those employees who work in the children and families social care service and who have direct involvement in the planning and decision-making for looked after children;
• Those employees based in schools unless the school formally adopts the policy locally.

Residence in the United Kingdom

Applicants do not have to have British Citizenship, but should normally be resident in the United Kingdom.

Child Minding

Normally child minding and having foreign students as lodgers by prospective applicants or existing foster Carers is not encouraged.

Accommodation

Each child over three should have their own bedroom, or where this is not possible, the placing authority has agreed the sharing of the bedroom.

A health and safety check should be carried out using the Fostering Network form.

A risk assessment should also be carried out regarding the implications of sharing bedrooms.

Pets

In determining the suitability of the household, the question of whether any household pets pose a danger or health risk to a child, will be taken into account. Where a dog comes within the definition of a dangerous dog as defined by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (as amended), this will automatically disqualify a household from being approved. A risk assessment must be conducted in regard to pets.

Please see Assessments of Dogs Procedures.

Preparation Groups and Training

All applicants will be expected to attend preparation groups before their application is presented to Panel. In addition all approved applicants will be expected to attend nine mandatory courses listed in the handbook for Carers.

Attendance at Panel

All applicants will be expected to attend Panel, when their application is being presented.

The Fostering Panel must make its recommendation on the application within eight months of the receipt of the formal application.

3. Preparation Groups

The attendance of applicants at preparation groups will form part of the assessment of their suitability as foster Carers.

The Fostering Team has a rolling programme of preparation groups including a one day session for prospective Carers’ own children (though the latter is not compulsory).

Preparation meetings will usually be planned to enable applicants to have at least 4 weeks’ notice of their date and venue so as to encourage extensive participation.

Written invitations will be sent out to applicants.

Preparation groups provide an opportunity for the Fostering Team to find out more about the applicants and have a clearer idea of their strengths, areas for further work and any concerns which need to be clarified as part of the assessment process.

The groups are also aimed at self-assessment in that they enable applicants to find out more about fostering and help them discover their own strengths and weaknesses.

After the preparation group applicants are invited to give feedback and to meet the group facilitators and a Practice Manager. This provides an opportunity to clarify whether the applicants should proceed or be counselled out.

A report by the facilitators of the groups will be included in the assessment report presented to the Fostering Panel.

4. Assessment

A member of the Fostering Team will be allocated to carry out an assessment of the applicant.

The checks on the applicant and all members of the household and frequent visitors over 18 will be actioned by the Fostering Team who will write to the Health Trust, Education Authority, Children’s Social Care Services for the area where the applicants live and whether the applicant’s have a right to work in the UK. The Criminal Records Bureau disclosure form will also be completed and sent.

Where the applicant has made a previous application to foster or adopt, the relevant agency must be asked to confirm in writing the outcome of the application.

The Staff of the Family Placement Service will record the dates when the checks were sent and the dates when replies were received.

The replies to the checks should be placed in the confidential section of the case record.

All applicants must agree to have a medical with a written report being obtained from the GP on their health and any other relevant health issues. Written advice from the Medical Adviser to the Fostering Panel should be obtained and referred to in the report to the Fostering Panel. Where the applicant’s GP has expressed concerns or where clarification of the implications of any health issues is required, detailed advice must be sought from the Medical Adviser to the Fostering Panel at an early stage and the implications fully discussed with the applicant and in the report.

The time taken to complete the assessment after the applicant has completed a formal application will generally be no more than eight months unless the need for additional work with the prospective foster Carers is identified.

The assessment can on occasions run in parallel with the applicant’s attendance at preparation groups.

Applicants may withdraw from the assessment process before it is completed. In addition, where an issue arises during the course of an assessment which requires a decision as to the future direction of the assessment and this cannot be resolved by discussion between the assessing worker and the applicant or by reference to the Manager of the Fostering Service, this can be referred at an early stage to the Fostering Panel or to the Agency Advisor for fostering for advice.

If the assessing worker has concerns about a potential applicant these should be addressed as early as possible and discussed with the applicant.

All assessments of a potential foster carer will follow the competency based format of the Fostering Network Form, including the understanding and dealing with a young person’s behaviour, encouraging the young person to take responsibility for their behaviour and helping them to learn how to resolve conflict. The foster home will be thoroughly checked to ensure it provides appropriate and safe accommodation for the child, as well as safe transport and a Health and Safety Checklist completed including an assessment of risk posed by any pets, as noted above. Each child over three has their own bedroom or, where this is not possible, the sharing of the bedroom as been agreed by the placing authority. Any issues that arise from the check should be recorded with an agreed plan of action established.

If an application is being considered from existing Carers wishing to transfer from another agency or the partner of an existing Carer, Assessments of Approved Carers Transferring from Independent Fostering Agencies or Another Local Authority Guidance should be followed.

The completed assessment (which should contain all material that will be presented to Panel) should be shared with and signed by the applicant and any written comments included. The time taken to complete the assessment to the Fostering Panel after a formal application has been received will be no more than eight months from the receipt of the application.

If applicants are to be counselled out, this should be done preferably before an assessment is completed, though it is understood that on occasions an assessment may be delayed for further work to be carried out.

5. Personal References

Also see Supplementary Guidance on the Assessment of Prospective Carers must be followed regarding current employment or student status, use of personal referees and previous partners.

Six written personal references must be obtained and checks of the register for children subject to a Child Protection Plan carried out. References must be obtained from adults who have known the applicant(s) for at least two years, who are not related to them and who live within a reasonable travelling distance of them.

The assessing worker will interview a minimum of two referees personally and complete reports of the interviews with the referees. A third, written reference can be sought from a wider family member, who will also be interviewed.

A written reference must be obtained from the applicant’s current employer and from past employers where the applicant has been employed (or volunteered) or an academic referee if the applicant is studying full-time.

A written reference must also be sought from previous partners (who have lived at the same address in a one-to-one relationship and who have had birth children together, cared for step-children or co-Parented). See Supplementary Guidance on the Assessment of Prospective Carers.

Where there are school-aged children in the applicant’s household a written reference must be sought from their school.

References are confidential and should not be shared with applicants unless specific permission has been given to do this.

Regarding assessments of approved Carers transferring to Brighton & Hove and partners of existing Carers, see Supplementary Guidance on the Assessment of Prospective Carers.

6. Portfolio and Profile

As part of the assessment process applicants will be expected to contribute to a small portfolio to evidence how they meet the fostering competencies. This will be done in partnership with the assessing worker.

A ‘second opinion’ visit to the prospective applicant should be carried out by the Manager of the assessing worker. The report of this visit must be included in the assessment report.

7. Presentation to the Fostering Panel

All the relevant information (incorporating the Fostering Network Form, the applicant’s portfolio, references, a full report on visits to the referees, full information about all the statutory checks ,the Medical Adviser’s report and second opinion report) should be sent to the Fostering Panel Administrator prior to the stated panel deadline.

At the Panel meeting, the information will be presented by the assessing worker responsible for the assessment and their Manager.

The applicant will usually be present at the Panel and will be encouraged to attend. Whether or not the applicant is present, their views and wishes must be presented fairly and accurately before the Panel within the documentation and verbally.

The Panel will consider the written report together with all the supporting documentation and any additional information presented verbally, and make a recommendation to the Agency Decision Maker (Fostering) regarding the outcome of the assessment.

The recommendation will be recorded in writing and, where approval is recommended, any limitations of the approval to named children (for example where the foster Carer is a relative or family friend) or conditions as to the age range or number of children to be placed in the foster Home will also be specified.

Reasons for the recommendations and any conditions will be recorded in the Panel’s minutes.

8. After the Fostering Panel’s Recommendation

After the Fostering Panel has considered the report and made a written recommendation, this will be sent to the Agency Decision Maker (Fostering) who will make a decision as to the approval of the foster Carers based on the Panel’s recommendation. Where the application is approved, the nature and any terms of the approval must be also specified in writing.

If a decision is made to approve a foster Carer, written notice of the decision and the terms of the approval will be sent to the foster Carer as soon as practicable by the Staff of the Family Placement Service. A copy should also be placed on the foster Carer’s case record.

9. Representations Procedure

This section should be read in conjunction with Fostering Panel Procedures

If the prospective applicant is not in agreement with decision of the Agency Decision Maker (Fostering) and/or the Fostering Panel’s recommendation, s/he may request a meeting (in writing) directly to the Agency Decision Maker (Fostering).

If the applicant remains dissatisfied, the matter will be referred back to the Fostering Panel within 28 days of the original written notification of the decision. The Panel will consider the matter taking into account the applicant’s comments and will then make a further recommendation. The relevant Assistant Director will be informed of the Panel’s recommendation and make the final decision.

If the applicant is unhappy with the manner in which s/he has been treated at any point in the assessment s/he may also pursue the matter through the Department’s complaints procedure. However, the applicant must be advised that neither the representations procedure nor the complaints procedure can be used to challenge a decision made by the Agency Decision Maker (Fostering), unless it is based upon new information as set out above.

10. After the Approval

Where an application is approved, the foster Carer will be allocated a Supervising Social Worker who may not be the same as the Social Worker who completed the assessment.

The allocated family placement worker will request the foster Carer to sign a Foster Care Agreement between Children’s Social Care Services and the foster Carer, which contains the information the foster Carer needs to carry out his or her functions as a foster Carer effectively. The foster Carer will be given two copies for signature, and will retain one signed copy. The other will be kept on the foster Carer’s case record, together with the report and supporting documents presented to the Fostering Panel, a copy of the Panel’s recommendation and a copy of the approval decision.

The Foster Care Agreement will contain the following information:

1. The terms of the foster Carer’s approval;
2. The support and training to be provided to the foster Carer;
3. The procedure for the review of the foster Carer’s approval;
4. The procedure for placements of children;
5. The procedure for making representations and complaints;
6. The requirement to inform the fostering service of any change of circumstance, address or in the household composition, or of any registration as a childminder or application to adopt or of any offence;
7. The requirements in relation to confidentiality;
8. The procedures for behaviour management and unauthorised absences of children placed with the foster Carer including the ban on corporal punishment;
9. The procedures for informing the family placement worker of the child’s progress and any significant events relating to the child;
10. The need to give 28 days’ notice in writing of they wish to cease fostering.

New foster Carers will also be given their personal copy of the Foster Carer Hand-Book, which covers policies, procedures, guidance, legal information and insurance details.

The allocated family placement worker will continue to provide support to the foster Carer up to, during and after all placements.

11. Register of Foster Carers

The Manager of the Fostering Service will maintain a register of all approved foster Carers containing the following particulars:

1. The name, address, date of birth, sex and ethnic origin of each foster Carer;
2. The date of approval and of each review of the approval;
3. The current terms of the approval;
4. The name, address, date of birth of each Connected Person with whom a child is placed under Regulation 24 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2011 and who has been granted temporary approval as a foster carer, together with the date and terms of the temporary approval.

12. Case Files and Organisation

The foster Carer’s case file contains their assessment, details of the Panel and Agency Decision Maker (Fostering) approval, signed Foster Care Agreement, record of support and supervision and a separate children’s module (if child in placement).

There is a electronic template for case file organisation Foster Care Files.

End