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Contents

1. Context and purpose
2. Preparation for the Review
3. Administrative process
4. The Fostering Panel
5. Foster Carer’s review pack

1. Context and purpose

The Fostering Service Regulations 2011 place a legal requirement on local authorities to review the approval of all foster carers at a minimum of 12 monthly intervals.

A review of a foster carer’s approval may also take place in event of:

• A serious complaint or allegation made about the foster carer
• A death in the foster Home
• A serious change in the health of the foster carer
• A change in the marital or partnership status of the foster carer
• A significant break of more than 6 months from fostering
• At the request of the foster carer.

Please consult your practice Manager before bringing a review forward.

The annual review of a foster Carer is part of an ongoing process of monitoring and assessing the carer’s experience, skills and abilities, which starts with the initial assessment and approval and continues throughout the career of a foster carer. Providing appropriate monitoring and feedback on the foster carers’ work ensures that the Fostering Services National Minimum Standards and Children’s Workforce Development Council are fully met. A personal development plan for each carer should be linked to their training and their annual review.

The primary purpose of the annual review is to determine whether the foster carer’s approval should be renewed and whether there should be any change in the terms of approval.

The annual review should also ensure that all relevant statutory checks are up to date. New CRB disclosures, checks of the List of Children who are the Subject of a Child Protection Plan and medical reports must be obtained every three years. Foster carers must also sign up to the Foster Care Agreement annually at the end of the review.

The annual review should also take into account the carer’s assessment of the quality of service and support provided by Brighton & Hove City Council & NHS Children & Young People’s Trust.

2. Preparation for the Review

It is the responsibility of each Supervising Social Worker to ensure that annual reviews of the foster carers that they supervise are kept up to date and planned properly. The Supervising Social Worker has the responsibility for co-ordinating all the information obtained in relation to the review.

Supervising Social Workers will generally chair the review meetings. However, practice Managers will attend some reviews and must so when there has been a serious complaint or allegation made about the foster carer. The decision about whether the practice Manager will attend will be made in supervision.

Preparation for a review also entails completing Form 1 as far as possible before the meeting, including the feedback previously obtained from the foster carers, children’s Social Workers and children in placement and the Supervising Social Worker’s own assessment. Where possible, Supervising Social Workers should also meet with the foster carer’s own children before the review to complete Form 3. The review should be completed at a single meeting on the pre-arranged date.

The review meeting should take place at a time and venue where:

• Both carers are available (if this applies);
• The review is the sole purpose of the meeting;
• Foster carers do not need to attend to their own children or children in placement.

Foster Care reviews should follow the model of Looked After Reviews, where reports are prepared beforehand and the meeting focuses on reviewing progress and making recommendations and action plans.

3. Administrative process

A team administrator will keep a record of the dates on which each foster carer’s review is due. A reminder will be sent by email to both the Supervising Social Worker and the practice manager two months before a review is due.

On receiving this reminder, the Supervising Social Worker must:

• Arrange a review date within the required time-scales;
• Inform the relevant team administrator of this date to enable her/him to update records. (The date of the review is taken from the date of the review meeting);
• Provide details to the team administrator of the children currently in placement and their Social Workers;
• Inform the relevant team administrator of any statutory checks needing renewal.

The administrative team of the Fostering & Adoption service will:

• Email the child’s Social Worker Forms 4,5 and 6 with a reminder notice after three weeks;
• Send out the relevant CRB, List of Children Subject to a Child Protection Plan and medical forms for completion by foster carers as notified by the Supervising Social Worker.

Where children have left the placement since the last review, Forms 4, 5 and 6 will have been sent at the time of the placement ending. (When closing a service package, this will trigger the relevant team administrator to inform the Supervising Social Worker’s team administrator to send out the forms.)

It is the Supervising Social Worker’s responsibility to:

• Ensure completion of Forms 2 and 3;
• Ensure CRB forms are accurately completed and documentation seen.

Reviews should go ahead on the agreed date whether the feedback and checks have been returned or not (although re-approval will not be confirmed until checks are completed). Liaison will continue with fieldwork colleagues to encourage completion of feedback forms.

Once a review is completed and written up this should be passed to the practice Manager for comments and signature. Practice Managers will also audit the case file since the last review and note this on the front sheet.

Non-significant changes of approval will be passed to the service Manager for decision and signature.

Unless a review is presented to the Fostering or Permanence Panel, the Supervising Social Worker will then inform the relevant team administrator of the need to send written confirmation to the foster carer of the terms of approval signed by the service Manager (with a copy placed on file). This should be within 28 days of the completion of the review.

Supervising Social Workers are responsible for ensuring that foster carers receive a copy of their review.

4. The Fostering Panel

Reviews of approval will be sent to the Fostering Panel in the following circumstances:

• Where there is the first review after the initial Panel recommendation of approval to the Agency Decision Maker (Fostering);
• Where there is a significant variation in the terms of approval;
• Where a termination of approval is being recommended;
• Where there is a significant change in circumstances;
• Where there has been a serious complaint or allegations about a foster carer;
• Where there are uncertain or contentious issues which require the advice of the Panel.

Where termination of approval is being recommended the foster carer must be informed in writing with the date of the Panel and a copy of the report to the Panel. The letter must also confirm that the carer may submit a written statement to the Panel and attend Panel.

Where reviews are presented to the Panel, written confirmation of the Panel’s recommendation and the Agency Decision Maker (Fostering) decision will be sent to the foster carer.

5. Foster Carer’s review pack

The review pack comprises:

• Form 1 Supervising Social Worker’s report;
• Form 2 foster carer’s feedback;
• Form 3 foster carer’s own children’s feedback;
• Form 4 child in placement’s feedback;
• Form 5 child’s Social Worker feedback;
• Form 6 birth parents’ feedback;
• Health and safety checklist.

All the forms (except health and safety) are set up as electronic templates.

End