• home
• full contents
• keywords & contacts
• contact us / update
• search
• forms library
• 

Contents

1. Definition
2. Notifications to the Local Authority
3. Action to be taken on Receipt of Notification
4. Initial Visit to the Private Foster Carers
5. Assessment and Suitability of Foster Carers
6. Visiting, Support and Reviews
7. End of Placement
8. Prohibition Process
   
   Appendix: Post Private Fostering Useful Information

1. Definition

A privately fostered child is a child under 16 (or 18 if disabled) who is cared for by an adult who is not a Parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, sister or brother where the child is to be cared for in that person’s Home for 28 days or more. 

A child who is Looked After by a local authority or placed in any residential Home, hospital or school is excluded from the definition.  In a private fostering arrangement, the Parent retains Parental Responsibility.

1.1 Limits on the number of Children

Usual fostering limits apply i.e. 3 children - exemptions can be made by the Service Manager in Referral and Assessment.

1.2 Disqualifications

Certain people are disqualified from being Private Foster Carers, they are people:

• whose child(ren)have been subject of a Care Order, or a Court Order removing a child/young person from their care.
• who have been convicted of any offence listed in the Regulations, which include offences against children and offences of violence.
• who have been involved in a voluntary or registered children’s Home which has been removed form the register, or which has been refused registration.
• who have been prohibited from fostering children privately.
• who have had their registration as a child minder of provider of a day care refused or cancelled.

2. Notifications to the Local Authority

2.1 Planned Arrangements

Where a child is to be placed with Private Foster Carers, the Service Manager Referral and Assessment  must be notified at least 6 but not more than 13 weeks before an arrangement begins

2.2 Emergency Arrangements

If the arrangement is made in an emergency (within 6 weeks), the Local Authority must be notified immediately (within 48 hours of the arrangement starting).

*Notifications should be made by the Private Foster Carers, Parent(s), any other person involved in making the arrangements or any agency who becomes aware of the arrangements.  The notification must be made in writing and should be passed to the Referral and Assessment Service.

The person making the notification should be asked to provide the following information:

1. The name, gender, date and place of birth and address of the child
2. The racial origin, cultural and linguistic background and religion of the child
3. The names and address of the person giving the notice and any previous address within the last five years
4. The name and addresses of the child’s Parents and any previous addresses within the last 5 years
5. If different, the name and address of the person from whom the child was or is to be received
6. The name and address of the Private Foster Carers and any previous addresses within the last 5 years
7. The name and address of any other person who is involved in making the arrangement
8. The name and address of any siblings of the child who are under 18, and the current arrangements for their care
9. The purpose and likely duration of the arrangement
10. The intended date when the child is to be placed with the private foster Carers or the date when the placement began

2.3 Change of Arrangements

The Local Authority should be notified, in writing, of any changes to the arrangements e.g.

1. A change of address, a change in the household, a criminal conviction/disqualification or prohibition in relation to any person in the household or any intention to foster another child privately.
2. Parents also have a duty to notify the local authority in writing of the ending of the placement including the name and address of the person into whose care the child has moved.

Where Private Foster Carers move to live in the area of another local authority, the Service Manager Referral and Assessment  must be notified, and will immediately send to the new authority the name and address of the private Foster Carers, the name of the child being privately fostered and the name and address of the child’s Parents.

3. Action to be taken on Receipt of Notification

Once a referral is received, checks will be made on ICS to see if the child/family are known.

If there is a suspected reason for prohibition, this will be reported to the Service Manager Referral and Assessment and the course of action to be taken will be discussed with legal advisors if necessary. 

Assuming there are no concerns, the Privately Fostered Child will be allocated a Social Worker to undertake necessary assessments, and maintain details on ICS.

On receipt of the notification, the Social Worker should write to the private Foster Carers, and to the Parents, acknowledging the fact, explaining that assessments are necessary and making appointments to conduct the assessments.

The Social Worker should carry out the following initial tasks within one week of the notification:

1. Conduct an Initial Visit to the Private Foster Home,  and speak to all members of the household, including the child being Privately Fostered.  See Section 4, Initial Visit to the Private Foster Carers
2. Notify in writing the relevant health and education agencies of the child’s placement or proposed placement including the health visiting service where appropriate.
3. Ensure that any necessary links are or will be established with other agencies for example because of the child’s disabilities and/or special educational needs.

It is recognized that many children who are privately fostered are not formally notified to the local authority. All staff who work in Children's Social Care should be aware of the definition.

4. Initial Visit to the Private Foster Carers

Ongoing Visits

See Section 6, Visiting, Support and Reviews

This visit should be conducted by the Social Worker within 7 days of the placement or notification.

As a result of the visit, the Social Worker must prepare a report which must be placed on the child’s file.

It is important that all members of the household are seen (*refusal: see below) including the child being Privately Fostered.  It is also important that the accommodation is seen, including the bedroom being occupied by the child(ren).

The purpose of the visit is to:

1. Explain the assessment process
2. Obtain the written consent of the Private Foster Carers and all members of the household  16 years and over to checks being made with the Criminal Records Bureau and ask the Private Foster Carers for the names of 2 personal referees
3. Establish the Private Foster Carer’s child care experience, access to support and views and intentions regarding behaviour management of the child
4. Establish the plans for contact between the child and his or her Parents
5. Ensure that the Parents have fully informed the Private Foster Carers of the child’s medical history and any current need for ongoing professional monitoring and medication, and have handed the child’s personal child health records to the Private Foster Carers;
6. Ensure that the child is registered with a GP, dentist and, if necessary, optician local to the Private Foster Carer’s Home;
7. Ensure the Parent provides the Private Foster Carers with a written general consent to cover any necessary medical treatment;
8. Advise the foster Carer to arrange a medical examination of the child with the GP as soon as practicable after the start of the placement.
9. Ensure that a school place has been arranged for the child if of school age
10. Obtain the contact details of at least two references, which the Social Worker should obtain.
11. Engage the Private Foster Carers, Parent(s) and Child(ren) in the drawing up of a written agreement, which should be written by the Social Worker once all the checks and references have been obtained.  The agreement should cover the following areas:

    The financial arrangements for the private foster care. The contact that will be expected between the child/young person and birth Parents. Contact with any other relatives or extended family in the UK. The expected duration of the placement Consent to medical treatment, if appropriate.

*In the event of a refusal of any person to cooperate with the making of the necessary checks, the Private Foster Carers must be advised that they may not be recommended as suitable. The Service Manager in Referral and Assessment should be consulted and, who should seek legal advice before advising the Parents on the making of alternative arrangements for their child. 

5. Assessment and Suitability of Foster Carers

Having undertaken the Initial Visit, the Social Worker should arrange foe the CRB checks to be undertaken, and references to be obtained.

It may be necessary to undertake further visits to clarify matters.

Once all the checks and references have been obtained, the Social Worker should prepare a report taking account of:

• the matters outlined in Section 4, (a-k);
• the references and CRB Checks obtained
• the disqualification criteria listed in Section 1.2, Disqualifications

This report should be discussed with the Manager.

5.1 If the arrangements are suitable

If the arrangements appear to be suitable, the Social Worker should confirm this in a letter to the Private Foster Carers and Parents.  The Social Worker should also ensure that the written agreement has been drawn up and forwarded to the both parties (see Section 4, Initial Visit to the Private Foster Carers)

5.2 If the arrangements are unsuitable

If the arrangements are unsuitable, it will be necessary to consult the Service Manager Referral and Assessment  who may seek legal advice, with a view to recommending to the Parents that they seek alternative arrangements.

Such a recommendation must be put in writing to the Parents, and the Private Foster Carers must be notified, in writing, giving the reasons for the recommendation.

If the recommendation is not accepted by the Parents and the child continues to be placed with the Private Foster Carers, consideration should be given to undertaking an Initial Assessment and/or Core Assessment (and a Section 47 Enquiry if it seems appropriate).

The Health Authority and Education Authority should be notified of the actions taken.

6. Visiting, Support and Reviews

Children should be visited within 7 days of notification of placement (see Section 4, Initial Visit to the Private Foster Carers), then:

• at least 6 weekly in the first year
• then, at least 3 monthly in subsequent years.

The Social Worker should assess during this visit whether the Private Foster Carers are  promoting the cultural and ethnic needs of the privately fostered child. The child’s overall development and emotional well being should be considered, as should any educational and health issues.

After each visit, the Social Worker should prepare a report placing a copy on the child’s file and passing a copy to the Private Fostering Co-ordinator.

If, at any time, it is assessed the arrangements are unsuitable, the Social Worker should follow the procedures set out in Section 5.2, If the Arrangements are Unsuitable.

7. End of Placement

Where notification is received that the private foster placement has ended, the Social Worker should ascertain the name and address of the person now caring for the child and his or her relationship with the child.

The Social Worker should notify the health and education agencies of the end of the placement in writing.

8. Prohibition Process

Private Fostering

When an Assessment or Visit is Not Satisfactory  - Prohibition process

When an assessment is made or a visit is undertaken to a household where the outcome is that  the placement is unsatisfactory, action should be taken to have the child cared for by either: His parents A relative A local authority carer The arrangements for doing this are the same as for any other Child In Need.

The private foster carer may be prohibited from caring for other children by the issue of a notice under Section 69 Children Act 1989. If this course of action is considered, legal advice should be sought. Any prohibition should be  confirmed in writing to the carer, together with a note of their right to appeal against the prohibition under para 8, Schedule 8 of  the Children Act 1989.

If a privately fostered child is not being satisfactorily cared for, the position of any other children in the household, including the carer's own children, should be carefully considered, and appropriate action taken, if necessary. Prohibited carers have a right of appeal under para 8 Sch.8 of the Children Act. When notice of such an appeal is given, seek legal advice immediately.

Senior management authorisation and Notify Panel If a Prohibited Private Foster Carer Appeals Against the Prohibition If, having been prohibited, a carer wants to care for a child once again, at a later date, the local authority can decide to remove the prohibition if we feel it is no longer justified (CA 69(4)). If a Prohibited Private Foster Carer Seeks to Have A Prohibition removed Before a prohibition can be cancelled, we must: Carry out a thorough assessment of the carer, carried out by a member of the Private Fostering Team/ Referral and assessment team Present the case to the Panel for their approval of the removal of the prohibition

Notify the carer, in writing, of the Panel

Appendix: Post Private Fostering Useful Information

Lewisham  Private Fostering Team aim to ensure that the privately fostered young people in the borough who are reaching the age of 16 are supported into adulthood and independency.

When a privately fostered young person reaches the age of 16, the local authority is no longer required to provide a duty and it is no longer required that statutory visits are carried out under Private Fostering, as a result the case is closed.

The information detailed below aims to give privately fostered young people who are reaching the age of 16 years old some idea of the services and organisations in Lewisham  that are available to help them when the Private Fostering Team's duties come to an end.

The information provided includes information on housing, benefits, education and counselling.

All the information detailed is accurate and up to date, however addresses and telephone numbers may change and we apologise in advance if any of the information is incorrect.

Please note that although the is case closed to  Lewisham Private Fostering team, should your situation change in the future and you think that it would be helpful to talk again to a social worker or a information and advice worker you are welcome to contact the Referral and Assessment Duty Team on the contact details below:

Referral and Assessment Duty Team

Tel: 020 8314 3852 020 8314 6294 020 8314 378 Lewisham Social Care Laurence House 1 Catford Road London SE6 4RU

Education Training and Employment

Becoming 16 years old and finishing school can be daunting. If you wish to continue with further education or wish to get into employment it is important to have the right advice and information to ensure you make the right decision.

Schools normally have access to a careers advisor to provide a range of careers advice to their students who are leaving school. However, you may prefer to find out further information for yourself.

CONNEXTIONS

209-211 Lewisham High Street SE13 6LY T: 020 8297 3330/3363

LEWISHAM COLLEGE

Main site Lewisham Way SE4 1UT T: 020 8692 0353

LEWISHAM COLLEGE

Second Site Deptford Campus 2 Deptford Church Street SE8 4RZ Telephone: 020 8692 0353 Lewisham College Website

Lewisham Youth Service

Lewisham youth service provides and supports a range of educational services and social activities for children and young people aged between nine and 25 years of age. 23 Mercia Grove Lewisham SE13 6BJ T :020 8314 9543

Youth Aid Lewisham

17 Brownhill Road Catford SE6 2HG T: 020 8697 7435

Opening Doors

Opening Doors provides careers advice and helps Lewisham residents with writing CVs, applying for jobs, interview preparation and finding work-related training. 121 Lewisham High Street Lewisham SE13 6AT T: 020 8297 1171

Youth one stop service (YOSS)

An advice and information service for young people (13-19) at four sites in the borough. T: 020 8297 3330

AccessPoint Catford

AccessPoint offers access to a variety of services including: Housing / Council Tax Benefit Council Tax education pupil benefits and awards the issue of blue badges disabled persons Freedom Passes                        skip and scaffold licences                              general information and advice Residential Parking Permits. Ground Floor Laurence House 1 Catford Road London    SE6 4RU

Choice

The Choice website has details of learning opportunities for young Londoners. You can search for details of all education and training courses on offer to learners aged 14-19 across London. Choice website

Directgov - course search

The Directgov website has a course search facility in their 'Education and learning' section. You can use this to find information about courses and learning providers across the UK. Directgov website

Lewisham Library

T: 020 8314 9800 Email: lewishamlibrary@lewisham.gov.uk

Job Centre

Catford T: 0845 377 4229 Job Centre Plus T: 0845 601 6916 Jobcentreplus website

End